Tulsa Wipes Klansman's Name From Street—Sort Of

A debate in Tulsa over the renaming of a city street has finally been settled, thanks to a subtle (and somewhat contentious) compromise. Brady Street was named for Wyatt "Tate" Brady, an instrumental figure in the city's past who was also in the Ku Klux Klan. The street's name will remain Brady Street—but the Brady honored will now be Civil War photographer Mathew Brady, Tulsa World reports. The move to switch the name from Brady Street to MB Brady Street passed 7-1 in the City Council, as some voiced protest. "It's still Brady, no matter which way you cut it," said one resident.

Part of the street will also be renamed Reconciliation Way, after Tulsa's John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation. City Councilor Jack Henderson had wanted to call the street Burlington Street, in accordance with an old map of the city—but Councilor David Ewing didn't think that effort was likely to pass. "I hope that people understand that when you have your back to the wall, sometimes you have to compromise," he noted. "We were going to leave here last week with a no vote; we left this week with a yes vote." (Unrelated to Tulsa, but worth a look: Slate has published incredibly up-close photos of life within the KKK.)