KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Weeks after a monumental vote to restore the signs along an historic boulevard back to The Paseo, members of the community are finding ways to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Wednesday, a group of people worked to clean up Martin Luther King Jr. Square Park, located along Swope Parkway and Woodland Avenue. The park was dedicated to King in 1978.
"It's just an overwhelming amount of trash," said Lauren Bell, who helped clean up the park on Wednesday.
Bell is trying to enhance the park named for the civil rights leader.
"Bring some beauty back into this community. It could really use it," Bell said.
Since the vote, some have voiced a few ideas for the park, including adding several ball courts, more trees and a place to honor King.
"He would love to see more investment in this, something that brings people together," said DuRon Netsell, who also helped clean up the park.
This proposal, along with others from the public, will go to the city's Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners, who are using a 90-day comment period to encourage submissions from the public. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 11.
So far, the Parks Board has received more than 300 submissions since launching the public comment period last week.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said it's the best way to determine the next steps for honoring King in Kansas City.
"They go through a hearing and make sure everybody has their voice heard," Lucas said. "If you look at the problem with the earlier process, it actually didn't start with the (city) council, it started with the fact that the Parks Board refused to listen to a set of people. We're going to make sure that we clarify some of that, that we clear it up and we have a long public process."
Anyone with suggestions should email them to MLKTribute@kcmo.org or by mail to: Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, c/o MLK Tribute, 4600 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64130.
