Council finally agrees -- barely -- to honor Portman with a street
In the tightest and most contentious major vote this year, the Atlanta City Council voted 9-5 to rename downtown’s Harris Street to John Portman Boulevard.
The debate about renaming the street has been simmering for months. In January, the council balked at the vote after an uproar by downtown neighborhood advocates and historical preservationists who resent the council's penchant for renaming streets.
At Monday’s council meeting, advocates on both sides lined up voice their opinions about the pros and cons of changing the name of the street, which was originally named after Fulton County's first elected legislator.
Council President Ceasar Mitchell, who lobbied the hardest for the change, did not attend Monday’s meeting, by Yolanda Adrean said it was a shame that Portman – a prominent architect – is more renowned outside of Atlanta than inside the city.
Along with Adrean, Ivory Young, Cleta Winslow, C.T. Martin, Keisha Bottoms, Joyce Sheperd, Michael Bond, Aaron Watson and H. Lamar Willis, voted to rename the street.
Alex Wan, Howard Shook, Felicia Moore, Carla Smith and Natalyn Archibong voted against the change.
About the Author
Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.
