Tempe OKs plan to change street, park names with KKK ties

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Tempe city officials will move forward with plans to rename streets and parks with namesakes that had century-old ties to the Ku Klux Klan.

AZFamily.com reports the Tempe City Council approved a resolution at a meeting Thursday night to change the names of three streets and four parks.

Some will be renamed for two local families, the Sozas and Sotelos. Both have been active in the area for generations. They were suggested by members of the community.

Among the changes, Hudson Park will now be Parque De Soza. East Laird Street will become Obregon Street after pioneer farmer Pete Obregon. Redden Park will be renamed for late activist and philanthropist Michelle Brooks-Totress.

The renaming effort began in 2021 after historical research led to proof that several prominent Tempe leaders were members of a Klan chapter in the 1920s. The Arizona Historical Society and Tempe History Museum assisted in the research.