Eddie Rye Jr. stood at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Cherry Street. It's been a while since Rye lived in the area, but that didn't stop old friends and community members from saying hello to the South End activist.
"I lived right around the corner up here on 30th," Rye said, pointing a couple of blocks north. "My folks lived there for probably 40 years, and then they moved out to Seward Park."
Weeks after President Ronald Reagan declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983, Rye celebrated the end of a yearslong legal battle to change the name of a vital arterial to Martin Luther King Jr. Way South to honor the civil rights activist. The street's name was formerly Empire Way South, after James Hill, or "empire builder," who connected the transcontinental railroad from the Midwest to Seattle. The struggle for the name change involved many demonstrations and strong opposition.
Later this year, the name Martin Luther King Jr. Way will extend to Renton along State Route (SR) 900 and to Kent along SR 515, according to the Renton Reporter. These routes will not be renamed, but Martin Luther King Jr. Way signs will be added as a memorial.
From 1981 to 1984, Rye and other community members advocated for the arterial's name change. When a lawsuit delayed the process for almost two years, activists began placing their own MLK Jr. Way stickers over the original street signs along the 8-mile stretch, from East Madison Street in the Central District to the city's southern limits.
Rye has played many roles fighting for marginalized groups in Seattle. He was co-founder of the National Black Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest Chapter and served as chair of the Seattle Community Council Federation, an organization that first reported redlining in the Central District. Rye says the idea to change the name of the street was sparked by a conversation with the Rev. Jesse Jackson about what people were doing to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a radio show Rye hosted in the '80s.
After the conversation, Rye turned to the southeast Seattle arterial known as Empire Way, which was home to many Black and Brown families, businesses, and institutions. He gathered groups to begin the process of changing the street name to honor the late Dr. King.
"We got people together with petitions — ship workers, unions, Black firefighters, the NAACP, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and other ethnic groups joined in," Rye said. "There was widespread support."
Despite City Council and eventual mayoral backing, dozens of merchants along the street brought legal action against the city, claiming the name change would cost more for business owners. As opposition grew larger citywide, advocates for the street name change to honor Dr. King began hosting demonstrations every Saturday outside opposing businesses.
At their first demonstration in Garfield Park, fewer than 10 people showed up to rally, according to Rye.
"The next Saturday, it was 200," he recalled.
Demonstrations weren't always pretty. Union member and activist Bob Barnes, now 79, recalled a morning protest when a customer assaulted him outside a bar formerly known as Empire Way Tavern.
"[Customers] were all pretty juiced up by the time we got there," Barnes said. "They just came out with all this racist bullshit. ... They'd go back in, drink some more, and come back out."
On Nov. 30, 1983, the State Supreme Court ruled that the City had the authority to change the name of the street. City officials began installing the new street signs shortly afterward. On Jan. 15, 1984, Dr, King's birthday, former Mayor Charles Royer unveiled the final official street sign for MLK Jr. Way. Hundreds of Seattleites marched from Mount Zion Baptist Church (the church presided over by the Rev. Samuel McKinney, who was a close friend of Dr. King) to South Cherry Street in celebration.
In 2005, Rye was involved in renaming King County to honor Dr. King. The county had previously been named after William Rufus King, a former slave holder. King County remains the only county in the country to be named after the civil rights activist.
Today, Rye and Barnes still remain active in community advocacy, lending their experience to a new generation of activists. Rye says his focus is now on economic justice, as he's seen the demographics of the Central District change in recent years.
On Jan. 19, both Rye and Barnes will be at Garfield High School for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
Rye gave a knowing look and glanced up at the sky as he laughed and said, "I feel great. I'm just happy that I'll be here to participate."
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