Push to rename J.C. Nichols Fountain, Parkway gains traction

The J.C.

Nichols Fountain is an iconic place in Kansas City, the City of Fountains.

Now, there's a growing call to change the name of both the fountain and J.C.

Nichols Parkway, which runs along the west edge of Mill Creek Park and separates it from the Plaza.

NEWSAFTER DAYS OFPROTESTS AT THE J-CNICHOLS FOUNTAIN-ANDMARCHES ALONG THE J-CNICHOLS PARKWAY-SOMEWANT THAT NAMESCRAPPED.THEY SAY IT REPRESENTSA BAD TIME FOR NON-WHITES IN KANSAS CITY'SHISTORY.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER NICK STARLINGTAKES A LOOK AT WHYNOW SOME ARE CALLINGFOR CHANGE.THIS IS ONE OF THE MOSTICONIC PLACES IN KANSASCITY-A GATHERING PLACE FORFAMILIES-AND PROTESTS-AND IT COULD GET A NAMECHANGE.-Nats of fountain-Chris Goode-Commissioner Parksand Rec Board.The time for us to make achange is already passed andso the better time is right now.CHRIS GOODE-IS ACOMMISSIONER WITH THEKC PARKS AND RECBOARD-AND PROPOSED TOSCRATCH J-C-NICHOLS OFFBOTH THE FOUNTAIN ANDTHE PARKWAY.Chris Goode-Commissioner Parksand Rec Board.It's more or less about doingwhat's right doing what'srepresentative of our peopleand not just one particulabody making blacks andhispanics and Jewish peoplefeel welcome.

Not standing forsomething that has been asymbolism of racism in ourcity.THIS PUSH TO GUT THE J-CNICHOLS NAME ISN'T NEW-LAST NOVEMBER 41ACTION NEWS COVERED APETITION TO RENAME THEPARKWAY AFTER DR.MARTIN LUTHER KINGJUNIOR.DAVID MUHAMMAD WASPART OF THAT MOVEMENT.David Muhammad, in favorI think that symbols mean a lotwhen we look at movingforward as a society and rightnow with the magnitude ofeverything going on I don'tthink there's a better time.HE BELIEVES THIS ADDEDPUSH COULD BE WHAT ISNEEDED TO GET THECHANGE.David Muhammad, in favorSometimes it takes somethinglike this to put it in someone'sface and wonder why youknow.TO GIVE SOMEHISTORY---J-C NICHOLSWAS A LOCALDEVELOPER-WHO HELPEDCREATE THE PLAZA ANDTHE SURROUNDINGCOMMUNITY.Andrew Gustafson-Curator ofInterpretation, Johnson CountyMuseumPart of that developmentinvolved the exclusion ofcertain segments of thepopulation explicitly to theAfrican American communityand early on, Jewish families.NICHOLS ALSO CREATEDHOUSING ASSOCIATIONS-AND DEED RESTRICTIONS.HE ALSO FAVORED WHAT'SCALLED REDLINING.Jeremy Drouin-Manager of theMissouri Valley SpecialCollections atKC Public Library.Poorer neighborhood theyconsidered high risk fordefault marked in red themore affluent neighborhoodsin green-were consisted lowrisk.LOOKING FORWARD-GOODE WOULD LIKE THISROAD NAMED AFTERMARTIN LUTHER KINGJUNIOR-AND THIS...DREAMFOUNTAIN.We want this to be astatement for collective unity,that's it.THE PARKS AND RECBOARD ARE HAVING TWOENGAGEMENTSESSIONS-WITHIN THENEXT 30 DAYS.MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS ISALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THISCH