While D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty officially pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today at the University of the District of Columbia, one question comes to mind — how well has the District actually guarded and promoted King’s legacy? Given the state of a library and an avenue named after the famed civil rights fighter, not too well.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library stands as a contradiction at the corner of Ninth and G streets. While the building itself, designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is often considered a singular example of modern design and construction in the District, the books and services contained within are more likely to be seen as a vivid example of the city’s failure to maintain and expand its most basic institutions. A debate that raged last year over whether or not to abandon the building all together has quieted down, though legislation allowing the city to move the library to a new building on the site of the old convention center is sure to be considered by the D.C. Council this year.

Across the river stands Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, weaving its way from the 11th Street Bridge through Anacostia, Congress Heights, and Bellvue. Though the avenue proceeds through African American neighborhoods steeped in history, it exists in a part of town largely ignored by the District, suffering from high poverty rates, crime, and a derth of basic commercial offerings. Hoping to attract businesses and reinvigorate the surrounding neighborhoods, the District Department of Transportation’s $100 million Great Street Initiative will include Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and South Capitol Street, funding beautification projects, improving pedestrian access and public transit options, and granting tax breaks to businesses looking to set up shop.

Martin Luther King Jr., just like many other American patriots, is a figure to be remembered, to be revered, and to be recognized in mind and matter. We may pay him tribute in words on the one day a year set aside for him, but we should similarly act to restore the city symbols to which we attached his name. It’s good to see the District investing time and money into improving both these namesakes. Let’s hope they get somewhere.

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