KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The effort to rename Troost Avenue got a hearing Tuesday at a Kansas City, Missouri, City Council committee meeting, but not enough support to push the renaming effort forward.
The issue came up during the noon Special Committee for Legal Review meeting at City Hall.
For some, Troost Avenue is just a street name or a street sign.
But for Yashi Poindexter, CEO and owner of AiZen Root Remedy, a business that sits on Troost Avenue, it represents growth.
“We are seeing changes and growth coming down Troost, and we want to be a part of this,” said Poindexter, whose business features a variety of plants, crystals, jewelry and coffee.
She also hears concerns from some of her customers when she tells them the address of her business.
“When we tell people where we are located, they are not thrilled to come on this side of town,” Poindexter said. “‘They are usually like, 'Uh, Troost, hmm, I don’t know about that.’”
Community members came to remind the committee the unpleasant history of Troost Avenue.
“In acknowledging the injustice of the past symbolized by Troost, we can also work towards repairing broken relationships that are present in our community,” one speaker told the committee.
Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, who represents the city's 3rd District, is a supporter of an ordinance to change the name of Troost Avenue to Truth Avenue.
Robinson said at the meeting it was the third time the issue has been raised in the past two years.
She, and other supporters of the name change, argue the city shouldn't continue to have streets named after a former slave owner.
The proposed ordinance asked for $50,000 to pay to remove and replace street signs.
“When we changed J.C. Nichols Parkway, there wasn’t this much dialogue and conversation that we had,” Robinson said. “Yes, it did cost, but it’s something that we are really trying to repair as it relates to the city and maybe really signaling to folks that we’re not going to celebrate oppression as a city.”
Despite support for the name change from business owners, including owners of Ruby Jean’s Juicery and The Combine KC, others weren't in favor of the name change.
“Renaming Troost is a superficial way to address racial inequality,” said a resident who spoke in opposition to the ordinance.
Some speakers at the meeting raised concerns about neighbors being aware of the changes and the importance of preserving local history.
Poindexter has a more neutral stance.
“I have mixed feelings about it, of course,” Poindexter said. “It is unfortunate that is a part of our historical experience in America.”
After about 30 minutes of discussion on the issue, Mayor Quinton Lucas made a motion to hold the item off docket, essentially tabling the issue and halting any immediate changes to the street's name.
“The council confronted this question about a year ago, and in that situation, we actually moved forward," Lucas said after Tuesday's meeting. "The legislation said there needed to be more of a collaborative process, more discussion in terms of what steps are ahead, and importantly, more information to those who would be impacted. The sponsor of the ordinance said that was not a path that she wanted to take. Then as I understand from the discussion today, it’s not a path she wants to take now. We understand that, and it does not mean that we don’t agree with the fact that we need to build better opportunities and better outcomes for everybody on Troost, for everybody east of Troost long-term. And that’s something that we will do. Building more housing, more economic development opportunity and beyond.”
Councilwoman Robinson responded to the outcome with determination to continue the renaming effort.
“This was a day of denial,” Robinson said. “That doesn't mean we're not going to continue to fight. That doesn't mean we're not going to continue to move it forward.”
For now, the street will remain Troost Avenue, but community leaders and local businesses lowners like Poindexter remain committed to the street’s evolution.
“I think that it does need to have a revamp and grow and change, but also keep its roots," she said.
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