August 6, 2025
The street would be named after a woman who advocated for housing equality in the city.
City officials in Minneapolis are considering renaming a street after Minnesota’s first Black woman lawyer.
Local leaders want to rename Edmund Boulevard to honor a historical figure, Lena Smith. According to MPR News, a city planning commission voted to approve the recommendations Aug. 4. Now, a proposal will go before the Minneapolis City Council to change the street’s name to Lena Smith Boulevard.
“We have neighbors who are a part of the BIPOC community that live on Edmund Boulevard, and they don’t want to raise their kids on a street that honors a man who did not believe that they should be there,” explained council member Aurin Chowdhury.
The street, which spans 14 blocks, is currently named after Edmund Walton. Walton was a real estate developer in the early 1900s who established racially restrictive covenants. Walton made sure that the street was exclusively for white people through legal means that forbid the sale of property to nonwhite people, as confirmed by the University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice webpage.
Smith, however, represented African American homeowners who bought homes in the area. Chowdhury considers this poetic justice for those disenfranchised by Walton’s racist efforts.
“Her contributions in addressing the systemic and racial disparities of segregation was kind of a perfect one-to-one, and also her history is one that I feel like has not been uplifted and made visible in the way that I think it should be,” added Chowdhury.
While few oppose the ethical reasons for the name change, some worry about the logistics involved in doing so. Between removing signs and changing addresses, some residents expressed their concerns about the immediate fix.
Minneapolis officials confirmed 107 residential and commercial units would need address changes. However, they have emphasized that the staff and services would work to ensure their efficiency. Others are willing to deal with any potential setbacks if it means the street name will symbolize equality.
“Although I do understand that a name change could be inconvenient, there is nothing more inconvenient than being denied the opportunity to purchase a home for your family because of the color of your skin,” explained local business owner Fredrick DuBose.
The Minneapolis City Council will hear the proposal next month, with a final vote expected to occur shortly after.
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