The undersigned are against the renaming of Court Street to “Martin Luther King Jr. Way” as the name “Court Street” has great significance to many people of Charleston, WV.

Whereas Court Street is one of the oldest and most historic streets in Charleston, WV. It was home and place of business to many economically challenged immigrant and black American citizens until urban renewal removed those citizens through eminent domain.

Whereas some of those early citizens as well as many of their children and grandchildren continue to live in Charleston and have strong emotional and historic ties to Court Street.

Whereas the Lebanese/Syrian Christian community was one of those communities that occupied residence and their businesses, as well as their place of worship on Court Street. Their Church, St George Orthodox Cathedral is the only place left that ties them to their history on Court Street.

Whereas while the Syro-Lebanese community met unofficially for years in the 19th century, St George Orthodox Cathedral was officially founded by Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn, now St Raphael.

Whereas St George Cathedral is home to people of Middle Easter, as well as people of mixed European, Asian, black Slavic, and other backgrounds.

Whereas Middle Eastern Christians have a 2000-year history of suffering unjustly, even until today, where they are living in poverty, and in some countries, are continually being executed by beheading, crucifixion, and other methods of cruel death.

Whereas it has been expressed by black citizens of Charleston who also have historical and emotional ties to Court Street and would not want Court Street to be renamed.

Whereas there are also citizens of Charleston that do not associate with any specific ethnic group other than as “citizens of Charleston, West Virginia,” who are against the changing of the name of Court Street due to its historic significance to the city.

Therefore:

The renaming of Court Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way would choose to favor one ethnic minority over another, and further divide Charleston.

The renaming of Court Street would send a message to the displaced Lebanese, Syrian, Black, and people of other ethnic backgrounds that their history and contributions to Charleston are less important than others.

Court Street is the street that the courthouse is on, as is the case with the majority of major cities in the United States and renaming it would be nonsensical.

The people signing this petition are in favor of memorializing Martin Luther King Jr. Way, but not by changing Court Street, which is full of history and sentimental value to those who had their humble beginnings and continue to worship on the very street they or their ancestors lived.