PEARL, Miss. (AP) – The Pearl agency that promotes the city’s business community is located on George Wallace Drive, named after the former segregationist governor of Alabama.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce has asked the city to change the street to Commerce Drive, a name chamber president Gene Newman called “more appropriate.”
Newman tells The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2i8C6Di ) the main reason behind the change is because it’s named after somebody in Alabama. Wallace is infamous for declaring “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” in his 1963 inaugural address.
The Pearl Board of Alderman took up the matter at its Dec. 20 meeting, but the item was tabled until January. Aldermen expressed concerns that constituents, particularly those who live or own businesses on that street, were not involved in the decision to change it.
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