ABOVE PHOTO: The Philadelphia Housing Authority unveiled a historical marker near the former site of the community center at Martin Luther King Plaza at at 13th and Fitzwater Streets where Dr. King visited on August 3, 1965 and spoke to an estimated 2,300 people. The event took place on April 4, 2012, the anniversary of King’s death. In the photo shown under the marker are (L-R) Mayor Michael Nutter, Congressman Chaka Fattah, PHA Executive Director Michael Kelly, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, and Dr. William Tucker, President of the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr., Association for Nonviolence, Inc.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority unveiled a historical marker near the former site of the community center at Martin Luther King Plaza that commemorates the civil rights leader’s appearance there on August 3, 1965.
King visited what was then known as Hawthorne Square, one of five locations where he held street corner rallies. The rallies were part of a two-day visit to Philadelphia (August 2-3, 1965) as King visited northern cities to support the local civil rights movements and aid leaders in fundraising. He felt that the de facto segregation which existed in northern cities was just as harmful as legal segregation in the South. About 2,300 people attended the Hawthorne rally.
The PHA board renamed the Hawthorne Square development in honor of King on February 9, 1970 at the request of former State Rep. and City Councilman James Tayoun, now publisher of the Public Record. He felt the name change would have a positive effect on residents of a site that was known for its crime and poverty at the time. The then-chairman of the board, Gordon Cavanaugh, said residents overwhelmingly expressed desire and support for the name change.
“Dr. King left us with quite a legacy,” said PHA Administrative Receiver/Executive Director Michael P. Kelly. “On this spot, he held a rally that addressed economic injustice and housing for the poor. These ideas are still valid today and I am proud to be a part of PHA, which continues to give people hope.”
Kelly was joined by PHA Commissioner Karen Newton Cole, Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Congressman Chaka Fattah, State Senators Larry Farnese and Anthony H. Williams, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, Resident Liaison Nellie Reynolds, and Dr. William Tucker, President of the Philadelphia MLK Association for Nonviolence for the formal unveiling of the marker at MLK Plaza.
The historical marker is made of cast aluminum and is located perpendicular to the steps of the now demolished community center at 13th and Fitzwater Streets where King made his speech. The marker fulfills a promise PHA made to residents to honor this landmark event for the Hawthorne community.
The site, which once held four high-rises, is now home to a mixed-income, HOPE VI development with rentals and homeownership. The new Martin Luther King features two and three story townhouses, duplexes, and two small apartment buildings and is privately managed. It mirrors the best qualities of new residential developments found in urban areas throughout the country, has spurred reinvestment in the surrounding neighborhood, and has won the most awards of any PHA development in recent history.
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