A Record Year For Honorary Street Names

Honorary street sign for Elbridge Lock on W. Vine St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Get ready to see more blue street signs. A record number of honorary street names are set to be approved in 2024.

The Common Council has already approved five requests this year, with three more pending. The designations substantially expand on what was a relatively small collection of 25 honorary names in place before 2020.

But it’s a trend that is accelerating, with one new name added in 2020, four in 2021, four in 2022 and six in 2023. Many of the latest applications have been submitted by those affiliated with fraternities, sororities or religious organizations.

The program, initiated in 2005, avoids the complications of completely renaming an entire street in favor of applying relatively low-cost honorary blue street signs next to the traditional green signs on select blocks.

In June, the council approved honorary street name designations for the late Gloria Ford Gilmer, James ‘JL’ Davis and Bobby Sinclair.

Gloria Ford Gilmer

The Ford Gilmer naming is a rare designation that applies to a Downtown street, running on W. Highland Avenue from N. 6th to N. 8th streets.

The late Ford Gilmer was, according to a nomination, the first Black math teacher at Milwaukee Public Schools, the first Black mathematics professor at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from the Marquette University School of Education.

She’s also internationally recognized, including an extensive Wikipedia entry. for her contributions to the field of ethnomathematics (the relationship of math and culture) and is the first Black female mathematician to have her papers archived at the Library of Congress.

The location of the street naming was chosen for its proximity to MATC.

“I believe naming this street after Dr. Gloria Gilmer is every bit as important King Drive, Vel Phillips,” said Philip Blank, a friend of Ford Gilmer’s and a longtime colleague at MATC.

The nomination was submitted by members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, of which Ford Gilmer was a member. “She should have been fourth Hidden Figure,” said nominator Linda Lucas, referencing the 2016 film. Ford Gilmer passed away in 2021 at the age of 93.

James “JL” Davis

Davis is a 98-year-old Milwaukee resident who, according to a biography submitted to the council, has long served as mentor to the community from his 22nd Street home. He has lived in the home for more than 70 years. The designation applies to the 4400 block of N. 22nd Street between W. Congress Street and W. Cornell Avenue.

The nomination was submitted by former Milwaukee resident Carolyn Gibson Lott, who said Davis has often used his home as a refuge for people experiencing domestic violence and other tragic situations. A Korean War veteran, he is also a “rock” that encouraged many, including Gibson Lott, to join the military. “You have never seen him on television, but he is an unsung hero to so many,” said Gibson Lott.

Bobby Sinclair

The final new street name honors Bobby Sinclair, the former pastor of the Community of Grace Baptist Church, 1809 W. Atkinson Ave. Sinclair, 76, retired from the church in 2023.

A master electrician in addition to his religious pursuits, Sinclair worked at a number of private sector companies in addition to Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee. According to a provided biography, he previously served as an advisory board member of LISC Milwaukee, the board chair of HeartLove Place, and a board member for the Congress of Christian Education for the Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention and for the group, Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin.

Sinclair was nominated by his nephew Courtney Sinclair. The honorary name applies to N. 18th Street between W. Vienna Avenue and W. Capitol Drive.

No one appeared to testify in favor of the designation at the June 20 Public Works Committee. Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs moved approval.

All of the nominations were ultimately approved unanimously.

In March, the council approved honorary street names for former alderman Terry Witkowski and William R. Stark, a longtime member of Milwaukee’s oldest African American church, St. Mark AME Church.

Pending Designations

Designations are pending for the late Bishop Sedgwick Daniels of Holy Redeemer Church of God In Christ Church; Lovell Johnson, the late pastor of St. Mark AME Church; and Willie ‘Baylew’ Mitchell, a community leader honored by several nonprofit organizations and the City of Milwaukee following his late 2023 passing.

Those previously honored with an honorary street name read like a who’s who of community leaders, and include Reuben Harpole, Donald Sykes, Joseph Ellwanger, Mama Freeman and James Cameron.

There is also precedent for upgrading an honorary name to a full street name. A portion of N. 24th Street is now N. Lester Carter Drive following a 2023 council vote. The name, which honors the late pharmacist, was originally bestowed as a shorter honorary street name in 2018.

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Related Legislation: File 231974, File 231972, File 240234, File 240507, File 240511, File 231973