Truman Park street naming proposal passes after contentious debate

 

Truman Park street naming proposal passes after contentious debate

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Racial politics reared its head at the May 15 Key West City Commission meeting, when Commissioner Clayton Lopez accused Commissioner Margaret Romero of being insensitive to Lopez’s effort to name streets in the new Truman Waterfront Park after black Bahama Village families that provided a “cultural anchor” to Key West.

Lopez, who represents District 6 that includes Bahama Village, introduced the resolution to name eight streets in the new park after well-known village families, including Evans, Major, Sands, Carey, Allen, Butler, Weech and Welters. Many of these families were musicians and had their Bahama Village property taken away through inverse condemnation by the federal government for use as a military base, Lopez said.

“There is no way to do justice, at least not enough to perfectly honor these families, as they have so many people on each family tree, who have made and continue to this day to make contributions to our history, culture and reason we love our city,” Lopez wrote in a narrative accompanying the resolution.

But Romero questioned how the families were selected for the honor, saying she had received comments from some Bahama Village residents asking why these eight families were selected and not others who also contributed to Key West history and culture.

“We already have a Butler Park. We have something from the housing authority that already bears the Sands name. And we have on the post the name Weech,” Romero said, adding that she would prefer a plaque with the names of all the families who contributed to Key West history instead of “cluttering all the streets with a bunch more signs.”

“I’m trying to make it inclusive because I’m not hearing some nice things about how certain names were selected,” Romero said.

That infuriated Lopez, who accused Romero of minimizing his attempt to honor Key West’s African American ancestors.

“I refuse, I flat out refuse to demean the memory of these families, the individuals from these families.. that have contributed to our history. I refuse to demean them by simply putting up a plaque listing these names,” Lopez said, adding, “It’s an outright insult and I take extreme offense to it.”

Romero suggested that the Truman Waterfront Advisory Board (TWAB) and the Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Committee weight in on naming the streets and that she meant no insult to the eight families. But Lopez wouldn’t accept that.

“I don’t care what you intended. I’m telling you what I am receiving,” Lopez said. “You don’t have that shared history… you cannot understand my perspective, Miss Romero.”

Commissioner Sam Kaufman echoed Romero’s suggestion that the TWAB be involved in the process, perhaps incorporating background information on the eight families in the board’s proposed art plan for the new park. Lopez did not object to that, nor to Commissioner Jimmy Weekley’s suggestion that plaques honoring the families be installed on a sidewalk around the new amphitheater. And Mayor Craig Cates said that Lopez and Weekley, whose district also includes part of Bahama Village, should have the loudest voices in the street naming decision.

“It’s amazing how we can take something good and twist it around to where it’s something bad,” Cates said.

The vote to name eight streets after the families passed unanimously. But Romero had the last word.

“I’m not saying anything is bad on this [street naming resolution]. And if anyone should take umbrage, it’s at the emotional outbursts when I am trying to do something to make the community cohesive,” she said.

Several of the eight named families have a vigorous musical background. The Allens, Butlers and Careys helped form the Original Key West Junkanoo Band and were early music instructors, entertainers and educators in Key West. The Welters Family were also musicians and winners of state band championships for the city. Roosevelt Sands, Sr., was a philanthropist and a member of the well-known Welters Cornet Band.

Charles Major, Sr., was an active member of the NAACP and president of that organization during periods of racial upheaval in Key West. And the Weech Family is honored at the current American Legion Hall in Key West for their military service. Mary Weech is known for her skills as a midwife in Key West.

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