Raleigh City Council approved the name change from Aycock Street to Roanoke Park Drive on Tuesday.
BIG CROWDS LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. >> THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE NAME CHANGE OF AYCOCK STREET. HE IS NAMED AFTER GOVERNOR AND SEGREGATIONIST CHARLES AYCOCK. WE ARE TALKING WITH AREA RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS CHANGE. SOME PEOPLE SAY THIS IS WELCOME NEWS. >> THEY TELL US THAT THIS IS WELCOME NEWS. THERE WAS A PETITION IN THIS DISTRICT AND 36 OUT OF 76 PEOPLE WANTED THE STREET SIGN REMOVED. IN THE STREET THIS WAY THERE IS A PARK CALLED ROANOKE AND HE WAS GOT A STREET NAME OF ITS OWN. >> CHARLES NAME HAS BEEN A STAPLE IN STATE, BUT NEVER AGAIN. >> HE WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA A POLITICAL AND STATE LEADER WHO WAS ELECTED GOVERNOR IN 1900. >> MUCH LIKE HARRY WATSON GROWS IN SEEING THE NAME OF POLICIES. >> I ATTENDED JUNIOR SCHOOL IN GREENSBORO. I GREW UP. >> HE SERVED NORTH CAROLINA AND THE UNITED STATES SENATE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERENT HISTORICAL SITES LIKE THIS MUSEUM AND WAYNE COUNTY CURRENTLY NAMED AFTER IT, HE WAS KNOWN AS A WHITE SUPREMACIST. WATSON TELLS US WHEN HE RUNS FOR GOVERNOR, HE USED RACISM, TAX AND LITERACY TESTS TO REMOVE POOR BLACKS AND WHITES FROM VOTING. >> THEY SAID THE ONLY WAY TO PRESERVE WHITE SUPREMACY IS TO THROW IT AWAY. >> WE HAVE SEEN HIS NAME, THOMAS RUFFIN, JULIAN CARR AND DUNCAN CAMERON REMOVED FROM BUILDINGS AND SIGNS OR LINKS TO SUPREMACY OR WHITE SLAVERY. >> HIS NAME HAS ALREADY BEEN DELETED FROM A UNC CAMPUS BUILDING IN 2020. STEPHEN PLANNED THE NAME CHANGE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. >> THIS SENDS A MESSAGE THAT HISTORY REMEMBERS YOUR ACTIONS AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND WAYS TO FILL THE GAPS AND PROVIDE INCLUSION TO ALL CITIZENS. >> WE REACHED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AGAINST THE NAME CHANGE, NO ONE WANTED TO GO TO THE CAMERA. While some don’t want the change for historical reasons or address changes, many say it’s a step in the right direction. >> I THINK WE MUST PROVIDE GREATER ATTENTION TO THE HISTORY OF DELIVERY IN NORTH CAROLINA AND TO ENSURE THAT WE NEVER DO IT AGAIN. >> THESE ROAD SIGNS WILL BE CHANGED ON JULY 1.