“It Should Be Bronco Boulevard!”
posted by Keyona Smith | April 24, 2019 | In NewsOn April 18, in room 238 of Fayetteville State University’s Rudolph Jones Student Center, student representatives sat down with the staff of The Fayetteville Observer to discuss the projected name-change of historic Murchison Road. Debate over the change has been brewing amongst the community since mid-March this year, partly because the road’s name-sake may have owned slaves and partly to rebrand the area.
The community has been able to pull together to discuss opinions with city officials and locals discussing opinions common, and not. However, this afternoon the focus was different, with students in the foreground.
The name-change is to rebrand the street but first, everyone has some of the same questions for those who want to change the name: Who will the name-change benefit? How will the name-change help with development?
The sit-down was put together by senior Arts & Culture Voice editor and Fayetteville Observer intern Je’Lesa Jefferson and the executive editor of the local newspaper Matt Leclerq. They invited SGA President Karee Brown, Voice News editor Nieema Williams, Bronco iRadio manager Brian Barber, AUTOS president Krystal Welch, computer science major Quaveon McCallum, communication and theater major Arlyn Slade, and mathematics major Sha’More Lowery.
Around the table, students added their thoughts on what they think Murchison Road needs before the rebranding. Students mentioned the area could use some beautification and TLC, housing developments surrounding the HBCU, and grocery stores that combat inner city food deserts. While everyone took time to digest their own personal concerns, the sway of the room pointed to one thing, the fact that students need to be included in the conversation. What businesses go up or come down affect the students that frequent it and the neighbors that live in the communities.
Some of the students that sat down for the discussion are not natives of the Fayetteville area and the fact is, you don’t have to be to feel the effects.
McCallum said that the displacement of the neighborhood Walmart set him back.
“The road certainly doesn’t get the attention that it needs,” said McCallum.
Welch supported McCallum by pointing to the issue of Murchison Road being put to the wayside by officials and powers that be.
“It has been forgotten about,” Welch said. “They don’t see it as something to focus on right now.”
Other students worried the area that surrounds the campus, which is home to predominantly to African Americans will become gentrified without purpose. They worry that they will not be the ones to reap the benefits of the name-change. They fear that if the name-change does become a reality, the history and memories will be forgotten about altogether.
Welch reminded us all that the community was popular among thriving African Americans once upon a time.
“It was a black community that was seen as a community for everyone. It was the place to be here in Fayetteville with the prominence of E.E. Smith and Fayetteville State [close by].”
Construction trucks have been in constant motion around the new baseball stadium miles past the anchoring Bronco Square, as well as miles in the opposite direction for the development of the new interstate highway. Like any good parent Fayetteville needs to pay more attention to its ‘middle child,’ if you will.
To add your own opinions or get more updated information on community forums, follow The Fayetteville Observer’s Turning Point: Murchison Road on Facebook.
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