Title
Resolution of the Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, Naming the Mercury Boulevard Bridge Leading to Fort Monroe as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge in Honor of Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
This item was added to the agenda by staff during the meeting and is being added by the Clerk on the day following the meeting.
Recommendation:
Rec
Adopt resolution.
Body
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 ...
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