Whereas, in December 2009, Hampton City Council requested that the City Manager establish a citizens working committee to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Hampton Distinguished Citizens who have exemplified his legacy of peace, justice and progress;
Whereas, since 2010, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial - Hampton First Citizens Advisory Committee has been diligently working to develop ways to honor Dr. King’s legacy;
Whereas, Mercury Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the City of Hampton;
Whereas, a bridge is symbolic of Dr. King’s mission to bridge divides;
Whereas, the Mercury Boulevard Bridge is a major structure that leads to Fort Monroe, a significant site that has played a vital role in American history and African American history;
Whereas, in 1619, the first Africans that were brought to English North America arrived at Old Point Comfort, the point of land that now includes Fort Monroe;
Whereas, from 1861-1865, most of Virginia became part of the Confederate States of America; however, Fort Monroe remained a Union stronghold throughout the war;
Whereas, during that time, the fort became the birthplace of the Civil War-era freedom movement when three enslaved men escaped the Confederate Army at Sewells Point and fled in a small boat to Fort Monroe. Union commander General Benjamin Butler refused to return the slaves calling them “contraband of war”;
WHEREAS, these three men considered “contraband of war” were Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend;
Whereas, General Butler’s contraband policies helped lead to the Emancipation Proclamation and earned Fort Monroe the nickname “Freedom’s Fortress” or the “Freedom Fort;”
WHEREAS, Dr. King’s civil rights work built on the foundation that was laid by Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend;
WHEREAS, the Hampton City Council saw this logical connection between Fort Monroe’s history and Dr. King’s work and thus decided by Resolution 16-0074 dated February 24, 2016 to name the then unnamed bridge on Mercury Boulevard after Dr. King;
WHEREAS, others have not seen the connection between Dr. King and Fort Monroe’s history as clearly as did the Council; and
WHEREAS, Council recognizes the desire for a clear and strong connection to Fort Monroe and local history when naming this bridge.
Now, Therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, that the Mercury Boulevard bridge leading to Fort Monroe be named the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge in honor of Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend, and that the City Manager shall work with the King Center to secure any approvals that may be required before signage is installed and the name is publicized. This resolution supersedes and replaces Resolution 16-0074 adopted by this same body on February 24, 2016.