GR Commission Approves Designating Street ‘Breonna Taylor Way’
Tuesday the Grand Rapids City Commission approved the request from local nonprofit Justice for Black Lives to designate Monroe Center from Division Ave. to Monroe Ave as “Breonna Taylor Way” in memory of Grand Rapids native Breonna Taylor, WOOD TV8 reports.
Taylor who was shot and killed by Louisville police in her apartment on March 13th, grew up in Grand Rapids, before moving to Louisville Kentucky, where she was a licensed EMT.
The community held a public hearing in September and according to WOOD TV8, many of those to voice their opinions were supportive of the commemorative designation.
As WOOD TV8 points out, the honorary designation won’t change the street name from Monroe Center but will add to it as an honorary name, with a blue street sign underneath the green city street sign. There are currently nine other streets in Grand Rapids with commemorative designations like the soon to be named “Breonna Taylor Way”.
WOOD TV8 says Commissioner Joe Jones said about the designation,
"I want to suggest that honoring Ms. Taylor in this way. Although it is a small and sentimental effort, it does speak volumes about our desire to be something different and to move in a direction that recognizes the value of those in our community those heroes and heroes who quite honestly have left this earth but deserve to be remembered."