Editor's note: Michelle Berry, Common Council member for the Second Ward and poet Laureate of Tompkins County, originally hoped to read the following statement at the Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday, October 18. The BPW discussed, but did not vote on, renaming State Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street. The proposal to change the street name has caused much controversy in recent weeks, with the opposition to the name change growing louder every day.

As Dr. King once said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Tonight, it’s true, we can’t see the whole staircase—all the implications of every scenario of granting such a complex, emotionally-charged request, but I respectfully ask the Board to take the first step in granting this request that comes from many people of various skin, economics, business interests, and most importantly from young people of color who have so nobly led this complicated issue.

I have been delighted to see the hundreds of residents around the county who support renaming State Street, yet I have been surprised and concerned about the controversy and the finger pointing that has taken place over the many months of debate.

We must somehow rise above fixed positions, but I believe it is imperative that many of those who are opposed to the issue read a bit more deeply of Dr. King’s writings. He was not opposed to controversy whatsoever; in fact, he said, "Where a man or woman stands in times of controversy is far more important than where we stand in times of comfort."

I do not think this is an issue about whether you like Gino Bush’s style or not. I do not think it can be so simple as to point out African-Americans whom don’t favor the street re-naming and to latch on to this point as some in our community are doing, saying: “see, even X Black Person doesn’t want this to happen.” That behavior strikes me as problematic, for of course there will be black people in favor or against renaming State Street MLK Street. Why wouldn’t there be? All of us are not a monolithic voice, we are all individuals.

To simply point out blacks opposed and not outline the reason why some African Americans are in favor of the street renaming, feels a most tenuous position at best.

I think this issue before the Board calls for deep and serious thinking—not about other streets to rename (for there will be the same controversy I’m sure), libraries, or other places.

Maybe the call upon us is to think about the level of indignation in opposition to the request, when both names could exist on the street, why has there been outrage when no one ever said the history of State Street would be lost or forgotten?

I challenge it would only be strengthened by drawing attention to how much we value the tenets of non-violence, peace, and anti-discriminatory practices so exalted by Dr. King. Further, I think that it’s curious that prior to the young people’s decision to honor Dr. King; there had been no great community movement to honor Dr. King prior to their initiative. 

According to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, the health of men of color in our nation is affected by scarce employment opportunities and although sizable numbers of people in the United States lack health insurance, men of color are the most likely to be uninsured among all gender and race categories and the most likely to lack access to quality health care. Men of color, the most targeted and discriminated against group in the nation, have come before you in a grassroots effort to ask for this one thing, and I hope that you can grant their wish.

And I ask you tonight to not fail the voices of the people with hope that we can rename this street without terrible implication or great inconvenience, and that if we have faith in the one step even without seeing the staircase, we can really begin to bridge gaps and build hope in Ithaca, duly named “most enlightened city” by the Utne Reader.

May we be so enlightened by a positive vote that will help move us forward on faith and hope, faith and trust, and ultimately, in the power of love.

In the words of Dr. King: "Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail."