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In Hazel Crest and Country Club Hills, 175th Street is now the Honorary Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
Officials from both municipalities were out in the cold and snow Saturday morning to celebrate the designation, which was approved in recent weeks by their respective Village Board and City Council.
“We got together and decided on kicking this off,” said Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford.
Ford said 175th Street was chosen because it is a major thoroughfare that passes through both municipalities. Ford and Carolyn Carter, the director of community and business relations for Hazel Crest, both said the hope is that others in the Southland may join them in honoring King.
“Our goal is to have 175th Street as far as we can go, east and west,” Carter said. “We’re excited about moving forward with the street designation.”
Carter said the decision from Hazel Crest President Vernard Alsberry Jr. and the board came after the village solicited ideas from the community. Residents consistently asked for King to be honored. Students from the village created videos about King being a hero.
“This is so important to Hazel Crest,” Carter said. “It’s something that had been considered for years.”
The recent events in Washington, the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued fight for social justice made this a good time to honor King as a symbol of light overcoming darkness and truth overcoming lies, Alsberry said in a news release announcing the designation. Officials said King’s service, sacrifice and achievements were instrumental to the civil rights movement.
Ford agreed that the timing was right.
“2020 has been a year with quite a few issues,” Ford said, also noting Black History Month was an additional motivation. “We thought it would be appropriate.”
In Country Club Hills, 175th extends from Cicero Avenue in the west to Central Park Avenue on the east end, at the border of Hazel Crest. The Hazel Crest portion runs from there to Governors Highway.
To help with COVID-19 mitigation, officials held separate honorary renaming ceremonies shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, with face coverings required. Hazel Crest’s took place at the intersection of 175th Street and East Carriageway. Country Club Hills assembled at 175th Street and Central Park Avenue. But some officials also met in the middle for a small prayer service.
“It’s indeed an honor for me to recognize the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in this way,” Ford said. “The least I can do is rename this street. It’s time the Southland has made a move like this.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.