Tennessee lawmakers want to rename part of John Lewis Way for Donald Trump

Tennessee lawmakers want to rename part of John Lewis Way for Donald Trump

A bill introduced in the Tennessee Legislature would rename part of a street near the state capitol – already named for the late Rep. John Lewis – for former President Donald Trump.

WKRN reports that two Republicans, Sen. Frank Nicely and Rep. Paul Sherrell, have introduced the bill which would rename the portion of the street from Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard to James Robertson Parkway as “President Donald Trump Boulevard.”

The bill would also remove protection through the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016 for streets as memorials.

The street, previously Fifth Avenue, was renamed for Lewis in 2021 by the Metro Nashville Council.

Lewis was a student at Nashville’s Fisk University and the American Baptist Theological Seminary and planned lunch counter sit-ins that led to Nashville becoming the first city in the South to start desegregating public places.

He died in 2020.