John Henry says Red Sox will lead effort to change name of Yawkey Way
Mods, I don't know if this makes more sense here or on the main board- it's sort of the confluence of both- but this is a big deal. Also if folks want to practice expanding their personal bubbles I'm sure the comments sections for articles on this are going to be depressing as all hell.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry, saying he’s still “haunted” by the racist legacy of his legendary predecessor Tom Yawkey, told the Herald that his franchise welcomes renaming Yawkey Way. The Sox, he said, should take the lead in the process of rebranding the Jersey Street extension outside Fenway Park that was renamed to honor the former owner in 1977.
“The Red Sox don’t control the naming or renaming of streets,” Henry said. “But for me, personally, the street name has always been a consistent reminder that it is our job to ensure the Red Sox are not just multi-cultural, but stand for as many of the right things in our community as we can – particularly in our African-American community and in the Dominican community that has embraced us so fully. The Red Sox Foundation and other organizations the Sox created such as Home Base have accomplished a lot over the last 15 years, but I am still haunted by what went on here a long time before we arrived.”
Practically speaking, the process for renaming a public street in Boston where there are no residents and only businesses requires a petition to be launched by the abutters. The petition requires 100 percent of the abutters to sign it.
Of the six parcels with Yawkey Way addresses, there are only two abutters: Henry’s Red Sox and the D’Angelo family, owners of ‘47 Brand and the merchandise shops across the street from Fenway.
The D’Angelos are on board with a name change.
Mods, I don't know if this makes more sense here or on the main board- it's sort of the confluence of both- but this is a big deal. Also if folks want to practice expanding their personal bubbles I'm sure the comments sections for articles on this are going to be depressing as all hell.