By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - For 14 years, supporters of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have tried to get a city street or bridge named for the slain civil rights leader.

Renaming Covington's 12th Street for King would honor the legacy of a man who stood for peace, justice and equality, supporters say. They include hundreds of petitioners and 31 Northern Kentucky organizations ranging from schools and churches to the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Covington resident John C.K. Fisher urged city officials to show the same "courage, compassion and leadership'' they recently did in passing human rights legislation that included protections for gays and other groups. During King's 13 years of activism, Fisher said, the Nobel Peace Prize winner was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Voting Rights Act.

"Renaming a street for Dr. King shouldn't take us nearly the amount of time it cost Dr. King to accomplish all that," Fisher said.

But opponents say changing the name of the major east-west artery linking Covington and Newport would be confusing and expensive. While many say they support King and the principles he stood for, they said that most 12th Street residents oppose the change.

"So Cincinnati has a street named for Dr. King," said Jody Robinson, who lives on 12th Street and owns a business there. "Did that prevent riots? Did that help us care about our neighbors? Let's think this through."

Both sides outlined their arguments to Covington City Commission at a two-hour hearing Tuesday at The Madison. Supporters of the change outnumbered opponents, 24 to 13.

People who didn't get to speak Tuesday can call or write City Hall, members of Covington City Commission said. Mayor Butch Callery said he'll contact Jerome Bowles, president of the Northern Kentucky chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), before the commission votes on the issue.

A third attempt

The NAACP's request to rename 12th Street as Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard marks the third time since 1990 that groups have attempted to name a Covington street or bridge for King.

Bowles noted that more than a half-dozen Kentucky cities have honored King by naming streets for him. He added that renaming 12th Street for King would form a "triangle of peace" in the region, as Newport has the World Peace Bell and Cincinnati has the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

"This is an opportunity for the mayor and commissioners to set a standard for the community, the state and the nation,'' Bowles said. "Stand up for the gateway to the new South.''

However, 12th Street business owners and residents who spoke Tuesday said their needs haven't been considered.

"I have no disrespect for Martin Luther King Jr.," said Joan Falbush, who has lived on 12th Street for 36 years. "I know he was a great man. But all of the people and businesses who signed the petition to change the name are not affected by this. (Twelfth Street residents) should be considered first and foremost."

Most of the 12th Street property residents and property owners who responded to a recent city survey said they don't want the street renamed. Some of those surveyed said it would be confusing, especially since Cincinnati already has a street named for King. Still others said it would be expensive for business owners and residents to change their addresses.

Of the 236 surveyed by mail, 112 responded. Ninety of those spoke against the change, while 20 favored renaming the street for King. Two said it didn't matter.

However, supporters of the name change say they believe there is widespread support for the change.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com