Leaders unveil sign honoring MLK Jr.

Local, state and community leaders gathered along North State of Franklin Road last Friday morning to unveil a sign that designated a section of the busy thoroughfare as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Parkway.

Dozens of folks gathered to see the unveiling, which signified the end of a longstanding effort to get a street in Johnson City named after the slain civil rights leader. The designation stretches from the West Market Street/North State of Franklin intersection all the way to the intersection of North State of Franklin and the Bristol Highway.

Johnson City mayor David Tomita and members of the city government were on hand for the unveiling along with State Senator Rusty Crowe, local representatives from the NAACP and members of the community. Addresses along North State of Franklin will not be changed as a result of the memorial designation.