ST. LOUIS – A new St. Louis board bill calls to rename part of a street near City Hall after Michael Brown Jr., nearly a decade since his death in Ferguson, Missouri.
Alderman Rasheen Aldridge formally introduced Board Bill 69 on Friday, which would create an honorary street name of “Michael O.D. Brown Way.”
The bill proposes to rename a stretch of Tucker Boulevard from Clark Avenue to Market Street after Brown. The board bill reads, in part, “Michael Brown’s legacy on the City of St. Louis should be recognized for the impact that his life had on our City, on our nation, and across the world.”
On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed 18-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson following an altercation. Police documents from 2014 allege Brown was killed after he was suspected of stealing from a local convenience store.
Brown’s death drew national attention to police brutality and racial inequality in the United States, coinciding with the early stages of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. His death led to weeks of unrest and protests in Ferguson and other U.S. cities, including violent confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
According to the bill’s text, Brown’s death forged a political coalition helped reform St. Louis city politics and elect more Black candidates to city offices.
Aldridge, who introduced the bill, has previously served with the Ferguson Commission to study social and economic conditions in the St. Louis region following Brown’s death.
According to St. Louis City ordinances, the bill would require at least 60 percent support among registered voters who reside or own a business along the stretch of Tucker Boulevard that could be renamed for an honorary street. Those registered voters would need to sign a petition. After that, the Board of Aldermen would need to formally recognize the petition before any changes.
There are a few honorary street names in the City of St. Louis right now named after former Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck, former Blues player Brett Hull and Civil Rights activist Dred Scott.
