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'It's a local thing'

In Carteret County, the local NAACP branch is seeking to have a portion of U.S. 70 between Morehead City and Beaufort named for King, despite the county commissioners' decision that only local residents could receive such honors.

Gregory Harrison of Newport, the branch's president, said he thinks that county commissioners adopted the policy to thwart efforts to honor King.

Instead of acting on the NAACP request, the commissioners agreed in January to endorse naming the road for two local black leaders, former Morehead City Mayor William Horton and the late Louis Randolph Johnson, a high school principal. Harrison said the families of Horton and Johnson endorsed naming the roadway for King.

Doug Harris of Atlantic Beach, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said the new policy was no slap against King. "It's a local thing," he said. "I wouldn't vote to name a roadway down here for Ronald Reagan or George Washington."

The Onslow County Board of Commissioners is considering a proposal to name a section of the U.S. 17 bypass from Lejeune Boulevard to Marine Boulevard for Coretta Scott King. She was selected both to honor civil rights leaders and because another section of the North Carolina highway already has been named for King, said Delma Collins, chairman of the Onslow board.

Collins said many county residents said a local resident should be honored instead of someone who has never been to Jacksonville or Onslow County. He said he does not think the opposition had racial overtones.

"I don't think this community is like that," he said.

Collins said he will make up his mind after reviewing constituent response.

"I don't know what's going to happen," he said. "The verdict is still out."

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