For the last few years, a community-led coalition has been working to connect with their neighbors to educate them on the namesake of Edmund Boulevard. Edmund Boulevard is a magnificent tree-lined street that traces the Mississippi River for about 1.5 miles. The namesake, Edmund G. Walton (1865-1919) became the first developer in the area to apply racially restrictive covenants to the properties he sold, which introduced racial covenants as the legal way of segregating Minneapolis.
The neighborhood coalition feels strongly that the name of Edmund Boulevard should be changed. The names of our streets, parks, and schools tell a story about our history and values. We currently have twelve street signs -- Edmund Blvd -- with the name of a man who instituted racial exclusion in our neighborhood. Removing his name is one step toward acknowledging our racist history, repudiating the man and his practices, and imagining a more fair and inclusive future in our community.
As the coalition approaches the end of their years-long engagement, we are assisting them in gathering community feedback on the selection of a new street name. This form is specifically collecting preference feedback regarding three proposed names to replace Edmund. We are prioritizing the feedback of Minneapolis residents and therefore will collect some contact and demographic data in this form. Thank you in advance for your time and feedback!
