Reconsidering Our Neighborhood Name

The Pinkney Neighborhood Association stands with those seeking to end systemic racism. We join the KU and greater Lawrence communities in reiterating that Black Lives Matter.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

July 17, 2021 –  At the July monthly meeting, association members ratified the neighborhood name change. Our neighborhood is now officially known as Pinkney neighborhood, in honor of William Pinkney (1764-1822). See additional background information about William Pinkney below.

For anyone who questions the motives/outcome of this renaming process, please know:

(1) This renaming process stretched out over more than a year, during which time updates were emailed to all neighborhood residents, physical flyers were mailed to all residents, information about the initial 12 possible new names was posted on social media and on the neighborhood association website. Meetings – both committee and regular monthly neighborhood association meetings – were announced via these methods as well and offered opportunities for any resident that wanted to raise questions to do so. The committee went to great lengths to make sure everyone that wanted to, had input. We encouraged all residents to participate throughout that year plus timeline and provided two separate rounds of voting.

(2) The process was driven at every step – from deciding whether or not to change the name in the first place, to gathering name suggestions, and through two rounds of month-long voting windows – by input from the neighborhood.

(3) Nothing in William Pinkney’s record suggests he ever advocated or spoke in favor of slavery, he never owned slaves, and he did genuinely want to keep slavery from expanding beyond the South. The anti-slavery politicians and power brokers of 1854 knew this, and used the name of Pinkney and quoted his anti-slavery speech quite frequently. From everything the committee found, it is pretty clear that Dr. Thomas Webb, on behalf of the New England Emigrant Aid Society, named what is now 6th Street for William Pinkney because of that speech.

 

July 5, 2021 – Thanks to all who participated in the final round of voting for our new neighborhood name. Based upon the final tally of all eligible votes submitted (totaling 359 individual votes), the new neighborhood name receiving the most votes is Pinkney. Please note that the new neighborhood name will be formally submitted for ratification at the next PNA monthly meeting on July 17. We anticipate changes to neighborhood signage, online presence, etc. occurring over the next 6-8 months.
The vote tallies broke down as follows:
 – 156 votes for Pinkney
 – 90 votes for Riverbend
 – 78 votes for Woody Park
 – 35 votes for Cameron’s Woods

 

June 2021 – Results from the first round of neighborhood name voting are: Pinkney, Riverbend, Woody Park, and Cameron’s Woods. (See image at left.)  The final round of voting took place June 1-30.  Remember: this voting was ONLY for renaming the neighborhood, not the elementary school.

 

May 2021 – The first round of voting took place April 1 – May 1. Residents age 16 and over voted to whittle our options down from 12 potential names (see descriptions below) to 4 finalists.

NAME DESCRIPTIONS FOR TWELVE OPTIONS:

  • Woody Park: In honor of Elgin Woody (1888-1978), a citizen of Lawrence who was committed to improving the lives of young African Americans, and the park at 2nd and Maine named after him. Originally named Lincoln Park when it was created in 1936, it was renamed Woody Park in 1973 in recognition of Mr. Woody’s devotion to maintaining the park, organizing local sports programs, and creating a positive and supportive environment for African American youth at a time when there were no recreation facilities or leagues that would allow them to play. The park is where the baseball and softball leagues for African Americans he organized and coached would play. Note that the park is under constant threat of encroachment from hospital expansion.
  • George ‘Nash’ Walker: In honor of George “Nash” Walker (1873-1911), who was a famous African American vaudeville performer in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Born and raised in Lawrence, he left in 1893 for California to pursue his dream of acting and dancing. That year he met fellow African American performer Bert Williams and they formed a vaudeville act that was an imitation of white comedians in blackface, ultimately serving as a caricature of the idea of blackface itself. George Walker and Bert Williams became two of the most sought-after comedians on the American stage, renowned for their storytelling, singing, dancing, and pantomime. In 1897, they formed their own theatrical company and they hired as many Black performers and songwriters as they could; they prided themselves on their large payroll. After falling ill while on tour in 1909, George Walker died in 1911 at the age of 38.
  • Riverfront: Referring to the eastern portion of our neighborhood being near the Kansas River. Note that a few other local Lawrence names are already associated with the term “Riverfront,” including Riverfront Park on the other side of the river in North Lawrence (location of the dog park, disc golf course, and boat ramp) and Riverfront Plaza (formerly an outlet mall and now the location of offices and SpringHill Suites hotel).
  • River District: Referring to the eastern portion of the neighborhood being near the Kansas River. Note that there is the “Five Rivers District” United Methodist Church located on Clinton Parkway in Lawrence.
  • Riverbend: Referring to the bend in the Kansas River that creates a portion of the boundary of the neighborhood. Note that River Bend Ct. and River Bend Cir. are two existing road names north of I-70.
  • Pinkney: In honor of William Pinkney (1764-1822), an American statesman and diplomat from Maryland who was appointed the seventh U.S. Attorney General by President James Madison. An anti-slavery speech delivered by William Pinkney in 1789 was turned into a widely circulated pamphlet. Pinkney remained well-known and his pamphlet quoted extensively by anti-slavery advocates up until the Civil War. The original map of Lawrence uses the spelling “Pinkney” for what is now 6th Street.
  • Parkview: A reference to the fact that our neighborhood contains six different parks. Note that Parkview Rd. and Parkview Ct. are two existing road names near L.R. “Dad” Perry Park in Lawrence.
  • Mount Hope: Referring to a longtime nursery that covered much of what is now the neighborhood, north of 4th St and west of Maine. Founded in 1869 and in the Pinckney neighborhood since 1883, it supplied trees to the KU campus and Downtown Lawrence (many of their cypress trees can still be seen today), and is where the Douglas Pear tree was developed.
  • Langston Hughes: A well known figure in the city of Lawrence, Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was raised by his grandmother Mary Langston here in the Pinckney neighborhood. He would go on to attend Pinckney Elementary where Mary “Mamie” Jane Dillard was his third grade teacher. Later, he wrote for the NAACP and became an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance. In his work, he specifically extolled the struggles of Black people in America. Note that Langston Hughes Elementary is a school that opened in 2000 near DeVictor Park in the West Lawrence suburban expansion of the city.
  • Mary ‘Mamie’ Jane Dillard: In honor of Mary “Mamie” Jane Dillard (1874-1854), who was a Black educator and suffragette who lived in the Pinckney neighborhood at 520 Louisiana St. As a child she attended Pinckney Elementary, and after receiving a Bachelor’s degree from KU she taught at the school. At Pinckney Elementary she taught Langston Hughes and later maintained correspondence with him for many decades. She went on to become the principal of Lincoln Elementary in North Lawrence, which was a school for African American children. She was an avid community activist and was involved in a number of clubs and organizations.
  • Cameron’s Woods: Known as “the Kansas Hermit,” Hugh Cameron (1826-1908) moved to Lawrence from the east coast as a member of the Emigrant Aid Society. An abolitionist and a founding father of our city, he was an eccentric figure who only lived in the Pinckney neighborhood for one year in a treehouse he built in the ravine at 5th and Indiana. “Woods” references his treehouse and the wooded park areas throughout our neighborhood.
  • Burcham Park: In honor of Burcham Park, located in our neighborhood along the Kansas River. The park was developed in the late 1970s with a financial gift from Riley and Alberta Burcham. The Burchams moved to Lawrence in 1943 and Mr. Burcham worked for Lawrence National Bank and Trust Co., retiring as its president in 1968. He was involved in several civic organizations, though was never a resident of Pinckney neighborhood.

 

February 2021 – Over a period of two and a half months, the Neighborhood Name Committee invited everyone to submit ideas for re-naming the neighborhood. The deadline for doing so was Feb 12. The committee members spent time conducting historical research on the suggested names, collating all reasonable suggestions, creating a series of voting ballots, and communicating with residents about voting deadlines and processes.

 

October 2020 – From all sources, we had 65 residents in favor of changing the neighborhood’s name; 15 against; and 5 don’t care.  Given that the majority of respondents wished to see the neighborhood name change, the committee decided to see that through and went on to gather alternative name suggestions from the community. The committee also determined the best route forward for ultimately selecting a new neighborhood name, and decided the most democratic approach would be a series of votes.

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WHY CHANGE?
 
Since its formation in June 2020, the members of the Neighborhood Name Committee have worked to gather information about the history of our neighborhood’s name *and* to get input from community members on their desire (or not) to change the name.  During this time, the Committee has provided neighborhood residents regular communication on our progress and sought the opinions of residents through a variety of means (updates at PNA monthly meetings, a dedicated webpage on the PNA website, e-blasts, social media, paper newsletter requesting input, online survey, a virtual public town hall, and two rounds of name voting).
 
Historical Background: The Pinckney Neighborhood bears the former name of 6th Street. Until 1912, 6th Street was named Pinckney Street — although this was not likely the original spelling. Early records from the abolitionist town founders of Lawrence point to the street being named for William Pinkney (no ‘c’), the author of an influential anti-slavery document. However, in the late 1800s, maps and newspapers began to use the spelling “Pinckney” (with a ‘c’), and later, for reasons that are still unclear, Lawrence school authorities were formally claiming that the school was named for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. And so, in circular fashion, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney became associated with the neighborhood.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was a Revolutionary War general, a signer of the Constitution, and a pro-slavery plantation owner from South Carolina. He was one of the most ardent defenders of slavery at the Constitutional Convention, arguing that South Carolina and other southern states would not ratify the Constitution if there were a move toward the emancipation of slaves, or even if the slave trade were abolished. Further, he celebrated the inclusion of the Fugitive Slave Clause that had been written by his cousin, Charles Pinckney. Many residents are troubled by our neighborhood being associated with someone so profoundly tied to slavery and racism. Thus, the Neighborhood Association formed a committee of volunteers to assess interest in changing the name of our neighborhood. Note: This effort is independent of the elementary school. The Lawrence School Board and USD 497 leadership are conducting their own review of the school’s name.

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We welcome additional viewpoints and information sources; please contact pinckney.neighborhood@gmail.com if you have resources to share with us.
 
Watch the recording of our virtual town hall meeting (10-15-20) where neighborhood residents were provided an opportunity to voice their opinions.
 

Neighborhood Name Committee-

Committee Members:

  • ACTIVE MEMBERS:
    • Eleanor Gardner (current PNA Neighborhood Coordinator)
    • Bart Littlejohn
    • Jen Unekis
    • David Unekis
    • Glen Walker
    • Kristen Walker
    • Mary Ann Tindell
    • Tara Wenger
  • INACTIVE MEMBERS:
    • Tom Krause
    • Lynnette Littlejohn
    • Kim Murphree
    • Melinda Lavon
    • Kendall Simmons
    • Miguel Uchofen
    • Zac Foste

Committee Purpose:

The purpose of the Neighborhood Name Committee is to consider the name of the neighborhood in light of current events; to conduct research on the neighborhood’s history; to engage the community with the information we gather; and to survey community desire to change the neighborhood name or not.

Committee Meeting Summaries: 

  • FIRST MEETING 7/11/20
    • We came up with a plan to gather additional historical information (see below for growing list), to connect with more residents, to reach out to the school board, and to connect with a neighborhood in Colorado that decided to change their name to learn how they got broad community input.
    • For a personal viewpoint and a summary analysis of historical research from a committee member, please feel free to read the “Ghosts of the Past” article on David Unekis’ tumblr blog.
  • SECOND MEETING 7/30/20
    • We reviewed what was accomplished:
      • connected with Stapleton Neighborhood outside of Denver, CO, to learn about their neighborhood name change process (they asked us to reconnect in August after their name change was finalized);
      • reached out to Pinckney School PTO member for contact with school board;
      • did further research on why the name Pinckney was originally chosen by Thomas Webb in planning City of Lawrence (sadly his reasoning is not clear)
    • We decided to create a flyer/handout to distribute throughout neighborhood via a walking campaign. Due to pandemic, no knocking on doors or conversation will occur.
  • THIRD MEETING 9/2/20
    • We received an update on progress in trying to connect with Pinckney Elementary School.  Jen Unekis has emailed several people (PTO members, staff, etc) at this point.  A teacher, Ms. Sherry Tamerius, is seemingly the most interested in assisting us and serving as a connector between our committee and the school and the school board.  However, it is currently unclear as of yet how involved she can realistically be.  Jen also believes her email to Christie (school front desk) has been forwarded to the principal at Pinckney, but she has not responded.
    • Jen and David provided an update on their progress in connecting with residents of Illinois St.  Glen Walker stopped by their front porch and they had a socially-distant conversation; he definitely wants to be a part of the committee and he has important info on the history of the neighborhood as well as ideas about who else (families) could provide input / get involved.
    • It was decided to include the flyer/handout in the paper newsletter that will go out to all residents in late September.  (This method is safer and less time consuming than walking the neighborhood taping flyers to doors.)
    • Discussed the idea of a Zoom Town Hall meeting.
  • FOURTH MEETING 9/16/20
    • Learned that Pinckney Elementary is overwhelmed right now with virtual school issues; they do not feel now is the time to consider changing the school’s name.
    • We are looking to widen our circle as much as possible and want as much transparency with our group as possible, which is part of the reason why we are sending out the flyer — to inform those living in our neighborhood that we have started this discussion,  welcome comments and suggestions, and inform the public about the town hall meeting to discuss it. We have contacted the school’s principal, the (at least former) PTO, and have been in contact with a teacher who has taught at the school for years and she has an interest in acting as a contact person for the school.
    • Learned that the Spencer Research Library has records going back many years for the Pinckney Neighborhood Association.  However, these are not available online.  Working to determine whether an in-person visit is doable.
    • Decided to host a Zoom Town Hall meeting dedicated to the topic of our neighborhood name on Thurs, Oct 15, at 7pm. People need to submit their responses to the idea of changing the name by Oct 15.
    • Decided to add the meeting information to the flyer/handout, which will go in the upcoming PNA paper newsletter.
    • Jen Unekis is spearheading an effort to put up physical signs around the neighborhood to advertise the town hall meeting. If you have any old yard signs (old political signs or signs that painters/roofers put up in your yard), please donate them to Jen. You can drop off at 707 W 4th St.
  • FIFTH MEETING 9/30/20
    • Bart reported that he held off on trying again to contact Superintendent Lewis (in part due to everything leading up to the contentious school board vote that took place on Sept 28 where UDS497 decided to go to a hybrid model).
    • Kristen Walker reached out to a different contact on the school board, but had not heard anything back yet by our meeting.
    • Jen Unekis reported, via Mrs. Temarius, that previous school librarian Mrs. Reeder is part of a group that is petitioning the school board to rename Pinckney Elementary after Mary “Mamie” J. Dillard (https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/mamie-dillard/20194).
    • The Watkins Museum of History is not aware of paper materials in their collections that pertain to the push in the 1960s/70s to change the neighborhood’s name.
    • Bart offered to reach out to Ursula at the NAACP to see if they have any records pertaining to the 1960s/70s effort.
    • Tara connected with Sarah Talliaferro, who was a previous Neighborhood Coordinator who put together the Pinckney Walking Tour many years ago. She does not have records of whom she spoke with to create the tour, but suggested that maybe Pat Miller might have those records (e.g., phone log) on floppy disks in a box somewhere. Eleanor will reach out to Pat about this.
    • We discussed how best to “plan out” the town hall meeting and ultimately landed on: Introductions of committee members (maybe attendees if not too many), Background & Historical Research, Graph of Responses Thus Far (and providing a surveymonkey link for submitting name suggestions), and then Public Comment/Discussion. Depending on attendance, we may need to limit public comment to 3 minutes per person. We would need speakers to state whether they already submitted their response, state whether in favor of or against changing the name (and reasoning). The meeting will need to have a hard stop at 9pm. We will give people a one-week grace period to submit their responses for any latecomers.
  • SIXTH MEETING 10/14/20
    • We reviewed the agenda that Bart created: Introductions; Background & Historical Research; Graph of Responses Thus Far (survey monkey link for name suggestions); Public Comment/Discussion (comments are limited to 3 minutes per person and must state whether a response has already been sent and yes/no on name change proposal); Conclusion/Outcomes
    • Kristen heard from her contact on the school board and they will think about it, but are overwhelmed with hybrid school and COVID issues right now.
    • Bart suggested that community members could submit their ideas for name suggestions through the month of November.
  • SEVENTH MEETING 10/28/20
    • Reviewed outcomes of town hall meeting on Oct 15th — approx 20 attendees; ran smoothly; overwhelming majority of attendees want to see name change
    • All total from various submission methods, we have following responses: 58 in favor of changing name; 12 against; 5 don’t care
    • 11 submitted suggestions for alternative names with the most-often suggested option being “Pinkney” (dropping the c)
    • Committee has decided to move forward with process for changing the name and seeking input from community on what that name should be. This announcement will be made at PNA monthly meeting on Nov 21.
    • We want to continue the survey seeking name suggestions through February 2021, but need to find free option as SurveyMonkey charges $99 per month in order to have open response fields within surveys
    • New survey will include statement that we are moving forward with neighborhood name change and then ask for survey-taker’s name suggestion and reasoning
    • Jen Unekis suggested that we utilize the now-numerous old political signs to communicate the decision to change the neighborhood’s name (include all communication options: survey, email, call Eleanor)
  • EIGHTH MEETING 11/11/20
    • David Unekis found that Google Forms is going to be our best bet for creating a free version of the survey seeking suggestions for alternative names.
    • Eleanor will investigate how to create a Google Form survey that is tied to the existing pinckney.neighborhood@gmail email address. Want this to be live by the Nov 21st PNA meeting.
    • Eleanor sent out to everyone a draft statement on behalf of the Name Committee that would be read at the Nov 21st PNA meeting and added to the dedicated webpage.
    • We decided that the Committee’s statement would also be included at the top of the new survey.
    • Jen Unekis volunteered to put physical signs together to help in getting the word out about our decision to move forward with a name change and the new survey collecting alternative name suggestions. Optimally, these signs should go up around the neighborhood Nov 22 or 23.
  • NINTH MEETING 12/09/20
    • Decided that Feb 12th is deadline for new name suggestions via the survey.
    • Jen Unekis & Eleanor finished constructing the physical signs the week of Dec 9th, and then Jen & David put them up around the neighborhood on 12/10. You can see the signs around if you’ve been walking the neighborhood.
    • Eleanor to update website & do more of a push on social media after Christmas to increase survey responses.
    • Jen asked about doing a press release about our progress and the decision to seek new name ideas with the Lawrence Journal-World. She recommended drafting something to give the LJW.
    • Bart pointed out that having the press release go out in late Jan / early Feb would be timely for Black History Month in February.
    • Bart offered to reach out to a contact at LJW (done as of 12/29).
    • Eleanor offered to draft a press release in mid-January. (As of 12/29, this timeline has been pushed up after learning that LJW wants to run a story ASAP.)
    • Jen offered to reach out to a contact at Lawrence.com
    • Jen suggested doing a new batch of signs to put up around the neighborhood in late January before Feb 12th deadline.
    • Kristen volunteered to look into other groups we could partner with to spread the word. Bart volunteered to reach out to Ursula Minor w/NAACP again.
    • Decided to cancel Dec 23rd meeting. Next meeting will be January 6th, with meetings every two weeks afterward.
  • TENTH MEETING 1/6/21
    • Eleanor reported that as of the Jan 6th mtg, we have received 56 responses to the webform inviting new name suggestions (as of 1/17/21, that number is now 80 responses).
    • Eleanor noted that physical signs around neighborhood have been good for getting the word out, but some are damaged due to rain/snow. Jen offered to drive around and determine extent of damage to signs and figure out how many need to be reprinted. She also said she would reach out to Kim Murphree to ask for any additional old political yard signs we could use. Eleanor suggested that, to avoid creating entirely new signs, we could add a brightly colored sticker or something noting the date by which name idea submissions are due. This would be cheaper than reprinting and it might get eyes on the signs again. Jen & Eleanor to coordinate on this effort.
    • We discussed the public response to the article about changing the Pinckney name in the Jan 3rd Lawrence-Journal World Sunday paper. Neighborhood residents commenting on the article on the LJW’s Facebook page were generally supportive and positive. Other comments from people living outside the neighborhood were a mix; some were positive and others were negative, dismissive, and even racist. Eleanor stated that she did her best to respond in a professional manner to any comments with questions about why renaming was necessary. Bart pointed out that the article needed to be corrected to show that this was only step 3 in our 6-step process; he volunteered to email Dylan Lysen again.
    • Bart will attend the next NAACP meeting and update them about our desire for name suggestions and historical information about our neighborhood.
    • Glen recommended that we reach out to local historically Black churches, such as St. Luke AME and Ninth St. Missionary Baptist. Bart volunteered to contact the church pastors; he serves on a committee with St. Luke AME Church’s Senior Pastor Verdell Taylor, Jr.
    • Discussion about reaching out to churches prompted a question as to whether it is okay to solicit opinions/info from people outside the neighborhood. We all agreed that it is okay because (1) our webform asks people to state whether they are neighborhood residents or not so that we can see the scope of where submissions are coming from, and (2) the opinions and historical knowledge of previous residents are very important.
    • Glen stated that he would connect with his aunt who attends St. Luke AME, as well as previous longtime neighborhood residents James Barnes, Bobby Kimball, and Jesse Newman (now in Kansas City).
    • Bart and Glen agreed to pay a socially-distant visit to James Jackson on Illinois St., as he had requested more information about why the neighborhood name should be changed.
    • Jen suggested that, once Feb 12th arrives and we stop taking new name suggestions, we should dedicate time to researching historical info on the name ideas so that voters are well-informed of any potentially negative things associated with each name option.
  • ELEVENTH MEETING 1/20/21
    • Bart reported that he attended a virtual NAACP meeting and told the members about our committee, our findings, and our plans moving forward. He provided them with our website for more info, and invited them to submit new name ideas via our webform.
    • Eleanor reported that, as of Jan 20, we are sitting at 80 responses submitted.
    • Bart reached out to church leaders at St. Luke AME and at Ninth St. Missionary Baptist. He spoke with Verdell Taylor (pastor at St. Luke AME); he is happy to spread the word among the congregation about our efforts and invite more name idea submissions.
    • Bart also had a socially-distant conversation with James Jackson on Illinois St.; Mr. Jackson is on board with the name change and appreciated the additional information.
    • Eleanor reported that she & Jen still need to tackle updating the physical signs around the neighborhood.
  • TWELFTH MEETING 2/3/21
    • Jen and David reported that they affixed bold yellow stickers with the Feb 12th deadline to the physical signs around the neighborhood
    • We all discussed the best ways to generate last-minute submissions via social media, PNA e-news, and on the website. Eleanor did these things throughout the week of Feb 7-12. All total, we received 105 responses via the webform. This is in addition to the existing suggestions from the SurveyMonkey version from back in October.
    • Bart reported that the neighborhood name change story got radio air time on NPR (Eleanor could only find it referenced as a short headline on the Jan 7th Kansas Public Radio station – https://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/headlines-thursday-january-7-2021)
    • Tom suggested doing another story in the Lawrence Journal-World. However, given that there were front-page articles on Jan 3 and Jan 24 – plus many letters to the editor – the committee members agreed that another article risked over-saturation.
    • Bart reported that he got in contact with Reverend Taylor at the St. Luke AME Church, and he helped to spread the word among parishioners.
    • Glen offered to speak with the reverend from the 9th St. Baptist Church to help spread the word.
    • We all discussed the potential for voter fatigue in having multiple (e.g., three) rounds of voting. David suggested that we might consider a ranked-choice voting system instead (e.g., list your top 10 picks in order of preference). Tom noted that not everyone has the internet and it’s important to get broad voter participation, so how to do that if voting is online only? Jen responded by asking whether we could do a postcard ballot of sorts. Bart stated that doing a postcard with 10 to 15 name choices (e.g., the most commonly-suggested ones) could be a good starting place. Glen chimed in that he feels people always read the PNA postcards as opposed to paper newsletters, so he recommended that we send out three sets of postcards.  Bart reminded everyone that PNA is severely limited (as in, the CDBG grant funding for 2020-2021 is already completely spent out!), so we would need to fundraise in order to do these postcards. Jen asked about GoFundMe. Eleanor pointed out that Pat (PNA treasurer) was researching that. Mary Ann expressed her preference for only offering one time to vote, but then others pointed out that cheating could more easily happen that way.  Bart brought us back around to the voter fatigue issue and asked whether we could just do one postcard at the beginning, the second vote be online, and third vote be in a paper newsletter.
    • Tom offered to walk his old postman route and deliver the postcards for free. While we appreciate the offer, it seems like too much work to ask that of someone — plus, it is illegal to put anything in a USPS mailbox and, with the pandemic, it just isn’t safe.
    • We agreed that it will take time to complete the tasks of historical research, creating a GoFundMe page, and organizing ballot(s), so the postcard could go out in mid-April with a voting deadline of May 1st.
    • Mary Ann asked whether every person in the neighborhood gets a vote, or just each household. We all agreed that individuals could vote. But that brings up another issue — if one postcard goes to each household, how do we account for multiple (different) votes on only one card???
    • Eleanor to collate the whole pile of submitted names and explanations and send to the committee members.
    • Tara brought up the issue of needing to provide background info to voters on why names are options on the postcard, but if we do that ON the postcard, we will quickly run out of room and turn it into a newsletter. David suggested that we could direct folks to the website to read explanations behind name options.
  • THIRTEENTH MEETING (2/17/21)
    • We discussed the spreadsheet of 72 different name submissions and discussed how to limit the number of options. There was a lot of discussion about how to limit the voting options to a list of top 15 or fewer.
    • We ultimately decided that if a name had two or fewer submissions, it was to be cut. Note: Because “George Nash Walker” had an additional after-the-deadline submission via Facebook, we voted among the committee members and agreed that it could count in the top 13.
    • Regarding deletions: Two or fewer = cut from list. Because the neighborhood voted to change the name, we dropped the name “Pinckney” (with a ‘c’) from the list. Because the names “Riverside” and “Riverview” are already claimed by other areas within or nearby Lawrence, those names have been dropped. However, in order to provide more than just one “River____” option, we opted to include two river names that only had one submission each.
    • Additionally, in discussing neighborhood attributes, we realized there are 6 parks in the neighborhood, so opted to include “Parkside” as an option as well.
    • We discussed how voting via postcard might work. One postcard will be sent to each household. We can have dropboxes at a few prominent neighborhood spots. A more comprehensive option is to direct people to vote online via the postcard, but if they prefer, they can drop it in dropbox or mail it to our PO box. Kristen wondered if businesses within the neighborhood might be okay with having dropboxes outside on their property.
    • We anticipate sending postcards out on April 1st, and the voting deadline being May 1st. This would provide one full month for the first round of voting.
    • We still need to come to a final decision on doing just one round of voting, or having multiple rounds of voting. Bart feels that it’s really important to have multiple rounds of voting. Everybody needs to come to the March 3rd meeting with ideas about how to facilitate multiple rounds of voting.
    • David will look into “click to respond” mobile response option (IP address logged to prevent multiple votes).
    • Jen will report on LMH being interested in printing postcards.
  • FOURTEENTH MEETING (3/3/21)
    • Jen & David worked out deal with LMH to get 7.5×11 postcards printed for free. PNA will pay for every door delivery via USPS.  However, there are about 200 addresses (mostly apartments) within the neighborhood that are not covered by every door delivery, so Jen, David, Tara, & Eleanor volunteered to hand-deliver to those addresses. Pat Miller (not on committee) also offered to assist with this.
    • Jen reported that LMH will have postcard printing done before March 31st so that cards can hit inboxes during first week of April.
    • Each person reported what they found in terms of the background history and any conflicts/issues on their assigned name options.  We decided to rule out the option of Kaw due to potential appropriation of an Indigenous tribe name, as well as Parkside which is the name of a popular Christmas parade event in Lawrence each year.
    • Each person to send Eleanor a short blurb write-up of their research, which can be included on postcard and website.
    • Eleanor to find two other outdoor ballot dropbox locations in addition to her front porch.
    • We agreed that voters need to be neighborhood residents, and that they must list name and address on their ballot when voting.
    • David to finalize online voting option which will have a required section for name and address.
    • Due to fast turnaround time for getting the postcard to LMH, we decided to hold another meeting on Monday, March 8, to finalize the postcard phrasing.
  • FIFTEENTH MEETING (3/8/21)
    • We reviewed the first draft of the postcard and discussed necessary edits.
    • We decided to make voting open to all residents age 16 and older.
    • Pinckney Elementary said no to being a dropbox site; we ultimately decided on Eleanor’s porch, Kendall & Steve’s porch, and Lori Lange’s porch.
    • Mary Ann showed us a postcard from 1908 that featured Cameron Hughes’ homestead, called Cameron’s Bluff, which was located 3 miles outside of 1854 Lawrence on the south side of the river.  This led to a conversation that ultimately landed on us removing “Hugh Cameron” as a name option, leaving “Cameron’s Woods,” and adding the option of Mount Hope.
    • Mary Ann to scan the 1908 postcard and send to Eleanor for inclusion in the ‘history’ section of the neighborhood association’s website.
    • We decided to skip the Mar 17th meeting and meet up next on Mar 31.
  • SIXTEENTH MEETING (3/31/21)
    • Jen & David got all postcards from LMH. They then got them over to USPS for every door delivery. The ballot postcards were delivered by USPS on Apr 1.
    • We discussed hand delivering to the apartment complexes by using painters tape to tape the postcards to doors.
    • Jen & David reported that they purchased Rubbermaid containers to serve as ballot dropboxes.
    • Eleanor suggested that closer to the deadline we put out leftover signs around the neighborhood to remind people to vote by deadline of May 1.
    • We discussed how to update the website with name option details.
    • We discussed a plan to promote the campaign for voting via social media. We tried to pay for “boosts” on Facebook, but FB does not allow boosts for “social issues or elections.” If, toward the end of the time period, we don’t have many votes, we can consider putting a story in the LJW.
  • SEVENTEENTH MEETING (4/14/21)
    • David Unekis figured out the confusing USPS every door delivery conundrum, and he & Jen delivered postcards to the remaining 80 or so households within the St. George Court apartment complex which is on a rural delivery route. The post office said their published map is wrong and that Wood Creek apartments are part of the ‘normal’ Pinckney neighborhood every door delivery route.
    • Eleanor reported where on paper ballots were coming from – mostly the eastern half of the neighborhood. David reported that the electronic voting was much more representative of the entire neighborhood, and thankfully we have received a very low number of fake/spam vote submissions.
    • Eleanor noted that Kendall had informed her that the Michigan St. box had only gotten 7 ballots as of April 15 or so.
    • We discussed the need to have both paper and online voting for the final round of name voting. Eleanor feels confident that PNA has the financial flexibility to cover a second postcard ballot mailing effort.
    • Jen & David discussed their plan to put yard signs out with reminders about voting prior to the May 1 deadline. (This was accomplished one week prior to May 1st.)
    • We discussed further social media and newsletter/website promotion plans, and how committee members could share out Eleanor’s posts on their own FB profiles to help boost reach. Eleanor carried these out throughout the remainder of the month of April.
    • Kristen shared that LMH is following our renaming effort and they are potentially interested in naming a clinic after whatever name is ultimately selected for our neighborhood.
    • We discussed the fact that USD497 recently “repurposed” Kennedy Elem. by turning it into a community center, and that based on attendance and financial deficit numbers, we are worried that Pinckney Elem. might be next on the proverbial chopping block — so renaming the school down the line might not even be an option. This is all just conjecture at this point, but it’s something to keep in mind and keep your ear out for.
    • We chose to skip the next meeting scheduled for Apr 28 and instead meet on May 5th after all voting had ended.
  • EIGHTEENTH MEETING (5/5/21)
    • Eleanor tallied up the remaining postcard ballot votes and (after much frustration with Excel and multiple assistance efforts) summed all votes. The four name finalists are: Pinkney, Riverbend, Woody Park, and Cameron’s Woods.
    • E-news blast announcing the finalists on May 8
    • We decided to shoot for the final vote to take place June 1 – 30.
    • Both online and physical postcard ballot voting options will be provided.
    • David will create the final ballot postcard
    • Jen will work with LMH to get the ballot postcards printed for free
  • NINETEENTH MEETING (5/19/21)
    • LMH appears unable to print the final ballot postcards; quote from Printing Solutions seems like most affordable option at $400; Postage will cost around $288
    • David to email Pat (treasurer) and Shane (new president) to make sure that PNA has funds to cover these costs
    • Shooting for June 1st for the ballot postcards to arrive in mailboxes
    • Social media campaign ideas: several posts, but maybe consider a video too because the Facebook algorithm ranks videos higher than text posts
    • Jen sort of volunteered the Unekis’ daughter to help make a fast motion video of the neighborhood
    • Tara recommended that we do a final press release after the name change is finalized as the committee’s last task before disbanding
    • Although we were happy with response level at 316 individual voters in the first round, we want to make sure we get that same level of engagement or higher
    • Discussed writing another press release, but for The Lawrence Times local (new) newspaper and not LJW (Eleanor to draft and send out for review)
    • At last PNA meeting on May 15, this committee was asked to address the following: timeline for transitioning name change items (bank account, signs, W9 info, grant documents, etc) == discussion landed on 6 months, David will draft initial list of what needs to be changed; drive around neighborhood and determine how many signs actually reference the name “Pinckney”
  • TWENTIETH MEETING (6/2/21)
    • Jen & David reported that LMH printing did fall through, not sure why. PNA paid for postcard printing and mailing. Ballot postcards to hit mailboxes June 3rd or 4th.
    • Jen & David to deliver ballot dropboxes to Eleanor’s porch, Kendall’s porch, and Lori Lange’s porch by June 3rd. Eleanor will email Kendall & Lori to let them know.
    • Jen & David will deliver ballot postcards to 80ish apartments in St. George Court complex.
    • Eleanor will post on social accounts June 3rd or thereabouts, announcing start of final voting round
    • Eleanor mentioned that Pat (treasurer) would like us to research whether we could do an online fundraiser to recoup costs of printing/mailing and possibly something like a permanent placard to commemorate the name change process. May be inappropriate to use GoFundMe, as it’s only for individual people or 501(c)3 charities – which PNA is not. Other options may be IndieGoGo or Kickstarter. David and Eleanor to research online fundraising options and report back.
    • We would like for the online fundraiser to start during the month of June and run into July or maybe August (?)
    • Jen suggested that the video could be used to promote the online fundraiser, a sort of promotion of the neighborhood association in general
    • Glen noted we need to keep it short (approx 1 minute) + Kristen suggested that we could do a video series: neighborhood parks, waterways, dogs, etc.
    • David sent out draft list of name change timeline & things that need to be changed. Everyone needs to send in their comments/thoughts/additions on his list.
    • David drove around neighborhood and confirmed that only two signs have old name listed on it – the one in Constant Park and the sign at 5th & Indiana; The railroad center in NoLaw has a map with “Pinckney” on it; The Visitor Center in downtown has a map and brochures with “Pinckney” listed
    • Kristen recommended that we reach out to LMH and to the Lawrence Association of Realtors; Bart said we should contact Tom Harper in particular as well as Historic Resources Commission
  • TWENTY-FIRST MEETING (6/16/21)
    • Jen & David reported that they hand-delivered remaining postcards to St. George’s apartments by June 14.
    • The group discussed GoFundMe vs. GiveButter vs. Kickstarter for options for crowdfunding. The consensus was that GoFundMe should work for PNA and that Kristen would do a little more research into the particulars ahead of the June 19 PNA monthly meeting in order to inform PNA Officers about the options.
    • We also discussed that the GoFundMe could potentially be consistently open for giving so that it is a regular source of funding for PNA.
    • Brought up list of things to change/contact points again. Group felt it was relatively comprehensive and ready for PNA Officers to take and run with from this point.
    • Discussed the possibility of walking the western portion of the neighborhood to drum up votes. David drafted a potential flyer, but there was little time left to actually spend the time going around knocking on doors – so this action was not undertaken.
    • Jen & David committed to re-doing the physical signs to encourage voting; these signs went up in the neighborhood during the final week of voting.
    • Briefly acknowledged racist commentary in response to name change effort discussion on NextDoor.
  • TWENTY-SECOND (FINAL) MEETING (7/7/21)
    • We reviewed the final vote tally numbers: 156 votes for Pinkney, 90 votes for Riverbend, 78 votes for Woody Park, and 35 votes for Cameron’s Woods
    • We discussed pushback on result from certain neighborhood residents and the implied accusation of our misrepresentation of William Pinkney’s intentions/history. We decided to put a few sentences on the website, which we can direct any further pushback/comments to. We acknowledged that David did a very detailed and thorough job of researching William Pinkney and the connection our abolitionist town founders would have had to his anti-slavery speech. We can say that we appreciate feedback, but this is final result. The process was very careful and deliberate and we sought input of entire neighborhood through two rounds of voting. We also acknowledged the emotional burden this year-long process put on committee members and reminded each other that the vocal few are just that — a few!
    • Eleanor to follow up with LJW and The Lawrence Times re: their inquiries (done). Eleanor to send very short statement after ratification has taken place — just a couple of sentences, moving forward to work with City to change record of name, signage, etc. (done)
    • Eleanor to share out Pat Miller’s Google spreadsheet containing list of things to do name change wise (done)
    • David to look into how to combine Gmail accounts so as not to lose data (primary/new account vs. secondary/old account?)
    • Eleanor to send Pat (and finance committee) info on GoFundMe (done); anything else is outside the scope of Name committee. Jen, Addie, & Addie’s boyfriend have a bunch of pictures/videos of neighborhood that can be used for later GoFundMe promotion once finance committee moves forward on that. Jen to send pictures/video to Pinkney Gmail.
    • When official ratification takes place on July 17, this committee is 100% DONE!
    • Bart expressed his deep gratification to the active committee members for their time, dedication, and continual effort throughout this year-long process — and to quote “Game of Thrones,” NOW OUR WATCH IS ENDED :)


PRIMARY SOURCES:
Historical Information

  • History of Black Community in Lawrence (especially Pinkney):
    • Evidence that shows the neighborhood is a historically Black neighborhood: Pinckney-Historically Black Neighborhood
    • Background on African American history in Lawrence:
      • African American Oral History Interviews: http://oralhistory.lplks.org/
      • https://www.kshs.org/publicat/history/2008autumn_armitage.pdf (features a piece by former neighborhood resident Katie Armitage)
      • There are records of Mary Jane “Mamie” Dillard attending the Manual School (a kind of teachers’ college) in 1895 and graduating from KU in 1896. Annual listings of the teachers hired/retained, and their salaries, show her at Pinckney School from 1898 through 1910, then being moved to Lincoln School as principal in 1911. There were also property sales listings in the newspaper (and a note about a dance she hosted) showing she lived at 520 Louisiana from 1905 – 1909.
        • Of note, when Mary Dillard became principal of Lincoln School, the following was stated in the newspaper: “Pinckney School – Principal, Cliffie Metzger replaces Lucy Eck; seventh grade, Eva Bates replaces Lulu Woodman; first and second colored, Alice May Miller replaces Mary J. Dillard.”  That’s strong evidence that there were segregated classes within Pinckney School itself at that time.
        • From the Daily Gazette, Sept 9, 1911: