BUFFALO, N.Y. — It won't be long now until a section of one of the busiest streets in Buffalo is renamed 'Black Lives Matter Way'.
Mayor Byron Brown said Friday the resolution, sponsored by Common Council President Darius Pridgen and passed unanimously by the full council Tuesday, has his full support.
The mayor has directed Public Works Director Michael Finn to work on a plan to get signage in place as soon as possible.
Statistics show on an average day, 9,600 vehicles pass by some portion of that 4.5 mile stretch of Fillmore.
“As we re-examine the history of our nation through the lens of its impact on Black residents first as a result of slavery, then through the passage of segregationist Jim Crow laws, and now with recognition of the injustices that have been built into the criminal justice system; it is fitting that a street’s name honoring a prominent Buffalo figure changed in this way to reconcile his mixed legacy with our greater racial awareness, said Mayor Brown. "It is also appropriate that this street, which has played a vital role in the development and life of Buffalo’s Black community, be identified in a way that honors the contributions, struggles and impact Black residents have had on the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic life of our City.”
Council President Pridgen introduced the BLM resolution after hearing from 17-year old, Mekhi Edwards, a Buffalo Public school student whose idea it was to bring attention to the nationwide movement.
