Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of America’s most revered historical figures, viewed in a positive light by 94 percent of Americans. Over 100 schools are named for King, countless monuments and memorials have been built to his memory and, perhaps most impressively, 893 communities in the US have named a street for him. Despite their ubiquity, MLK Streets are not revered in the same way as King himself. Segregated, unsafe, and plagued by disinvestment, MLK Streets seem unworthy of King’s legacy.
What would King want for his streets? What should a street named after King look like? And how do we overcome the structural racism that has led to segregation, poverty, and the socioeconomic decay of African American neighborhoods?
For “Designing the MLK Way,” an interdisciplinary group of students from the UPD Department’s option studio on the topic will discuss their experience trying to design environments that embody the values of the great Civil Rights Movement leader.
This event is sponsored by the Dean’s Diversity
11/12/15
Committee and the Loeb Fellowship. We welcome students from all programs to join in these important school-wide discussions. Your participation plays a major role in making the GSD a socially involved and vibrant place to study design
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