(Dis)honorary streets

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DIS HONORARY STREETS – Ed Sebesta 10/25/2021 Streets are made known to us in many different ways besides just the perception of a street sign and in understanding this we can see how a so-called “honorary” street sign is just a token gesture to not truly honor a person.

We are made aware of street names in many different ways, some everyday and ordinary, some novel.

A street with “honorary” signs will be visible to those who live on the street and somewhat to those who drive on the street or across it, depending on the visibility of the “honorary” street signs by drivers who are also watching the official street name signs and focusing on driving. Sometimes “honorary” signs being a token gesture, often aren’t installed where they will have good visibility. For example, consider this sign.

(The honorary Atatiana Jefferson sign is in the picture.)

The “honorary” naming will also be known in news stories about the initial naming, but as time goes on the knowledge of the “honorary” naming will fade.

Contrast this to the vastly greater presence of an official name.

For starters, the official name will be used on maps. In using and looking at maps whether physical or Google maps, we become aware of many streets in a city, even streets were aren’t driving along or across. Our gaze at a street map perceives many streets. “Honorary” streets won’t be on the map.

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For exit signs on the highway the official street name will be used. This allows the people driving past on the highway, who might never drive on a street, to be aware of its name.

For example, Highway I-35W has a very large sign telling drivers of the exit for Allen Street. There is no visibility at all of the Atatiana Jefferson name.

News reporting uses official street names for reporting on events and traffic.

The mails use the official street name, so letters written from an “honorary” street will use the official street name for the correspondence and return addresses. The same applies for the mail addressed to person and businesses on the “honorary” street, the official name will be used, not the “honorary” name.

Very tellingly even the city which has granted an “honorary” street name will be using the official street name to the persons, churches, businesses, and others on the street.

Official records for all levels of government will use the official name for official records for taxes, permits, police records, building permits and other records. The census bureau will use the official street name. Driver licenses will use the official street name.

Real estate listings will use the official street name. Commercial transactions requiring a street name will use the official street name. Credit card applications, mortgage applications will use the official name.

Businesses, Churches, and other entities often adopt street names as part of their names. They do this to help give themselves a local community identity and also to let people know where they are. A Filbert St. might have the Filbert Street Cleaners, and the Filbert Street Methodist Church, and the Filbert St. Diner, etc. Since businesses and others are interested in letting people know whether they are located and assist in finding them, they will be using the official name, not the “honorary” name. The official name is on the map and is very likely to be known to many more people than the “honorary” name. The advertisements and events of these businesses, churches, and other groups on the street will publicize the official street name, not the “honorary” street name.

“Honorary” name signs are not essential for navigation through the streets by drivers and will be of lower priority for repair. As decades pass there is a risk that they simply will disappear with the neglect of the street signs. For official street signs there are likely standards and some policy for their maintenance. For “honorary signs” it is not clear what regular inspections they will receive, if any. The existence of “honorary” streets isn’t on maps, but relies of the remembering of news stories and people still living to get after the city to maintain them. The official record of the city council voting for an “honorary” street record will be buried in the records of the City Council.

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Consider also what the message is if the official street name was that of a white supremacist. What type of “honor” is it to share a street name with a white supremacist whose name will take precedence over the minority person in all things, excepting perhaps on the street signs and even there the white supremacist might have the occasion to have precedence. How seriously was the “honor” really when it was thought that it would not necessarily require the elimination of the name of the white supremacist.

“Honorary” signs also signal that a group requesting the street re-naming didn’t have the influence or importance to get the official name changed and person for whom the street was to be renamed wasn’t that important. It communicates that the person for whom the street was to be renamed wasn’t that important. It communicates that the group which failed to get official street name change isn’t important and that their lives don’t matter that much.

“Honorary” signs dishonor not only the person who they are supposedly to “honor” but also the groups who hope to receive some measure of justice in a street renaming.

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When you truly honor someone.

When you honor Botham Jean.

When you truly think Black Lives Matter.

When you respect the Body Politic of the City of Dallas.