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What Street Do You Live On?
Formal Remarks on the City of Redondo Beach, California Proclamation in Honor of Juneteenth 2025
Marcus " Goodie" Goodloe, Ph. D.
June 17, 2025
In Galveston, Texas, there is a street formerly named after Confederate military commander Richard " Dick" Dowling. Although some claimed the street honored Dowling' s role in co- founding the Houston City Fire Department, many African Americans were all too aware of the inhumanity, hatred, and violence the former Confederate leader had promoted. Dowling Street was a constant reminder of past violence and racism.
In a 2017 Juneteenth ceremony, the street' s name was finally changed to Emancipation Street. Today, it is a street that Texans and all people of goodwill can take pride in.
I am honored to accept this proclamation on behalf of those who were committed to living in a nation where the color of their skin would not determine the streets on which they could live, or their human worth. I accept this proclamation as a reminder for us all to live considering the question: " What street do you live on?" This question shifts our focus from an inward perspective to a concern for others. It asks of others, ' Tell me your hopes, fears.' The question says, ` I see you, regardless of your last name, income bracket, educational level, or immigration status.' It encourages us to be curious about the well- being of others. May we be intentional in our care for one another, resilient in our commitment to treat the needs of others as sacred, and unwavering in our dedication to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our creator.
As you encounter someone who looks different from you, my fervent prayer, in honor of Juneteenth 2025, is that you will pause and ask them: " What Street do you live on?"
Martin Luther King Jr. said that people " fear each other because they don' t know each other, and they don' t know each other because they don' t communicate with each other, and they don' t communicate with each other because they are separated from each other." Here on the streets where we live, may we move from fear and separation and assumptions to curiosity and communication and relationships.