Workers installed new placards on the roads ringing Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun on Thursday morning, just hours after the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to rename four parkways with the original Dakota name.
The 7-2 decision effectively scrubbed the lake's namesake, John C. Calhoun — the politician who advocated for slavery and the removal of American Indians from their lands in the early 19th century — from its beaches.
"I feel like progress is moving, slowly but surely," said Park Board Commissioner Londel French, who is black. "[Calhoun] voted for people like me to be enslaved, so I don't see how I could agree with his legacy being upheld."
French planned to visit the lake for an evening stroll, where he'd check out the newly minted signs. He said he hopes the change will help teach people about the land's indigenous history and show Indian neighbors that their voice matters.
As a result of Wednesday's vote, W. Calhoun Boulevard, Calhoun Drive and E. and W. Lake Calhoun parkways will be named W. Bde Maka Ska Boulevard, Bde Maka Ska Drive and E. and W. Bde Maka Ska parkways.
The new placards for E. and W. Bde Maka Ska parkways went up Thursday morning. Thirty-three green street signs will be replaced in about two months, a process that will cost about $3,500, according to a city spokesperson.
Most of the vocal opposition against the name change came from longtime residents who live on the four parkways. Several people expressed concerns about the name being difficult to pronounce and the work it would require to update their mailing information.
Ed Bell, 77, told commissioners he'd rather see his tax dollars go toward efforts to improve public health, graduation rates and homelessness. "I'm disappointed that we're not taking care of what we have — not filling potholes … ," he said.
