SAN ANGELO, Texas — After 20 years, there are now brand new facilities for the public at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in San Angelo. Before the installment of both men's and women's facilities, the park had portable facilities without handwashing stations.
The project took north of $260,000 and a little more than three years to complete, but after numerous delays, the ribbon was cut Friday afternoon.
What made the ribbon cutting special for San Angelo NAACP President Mechelle Reed was the fact that the facilities were unveiled on the second day of Black History Month.
"February 2nd, the second day of Black History Month, to have the bathrooms open and the ribbon cutting and having everybody out here, it is poetic justice," Reed said.
Reed, along with her husband Mitchell, moved back to San Angelo after living in Alabama. Before their departure, the park needed upgrades including an installed facility. When they came back to West Texas, they were shocked to find it in a similar state, years later.
"We used to live about a block away from here (MLK Jr. Memorial Park), (when we came back) I saw that they had "porta-potties", and that really touched my heart. I said, this cannot be. We have mothers who are unable to change their babies at the park, we have nowhere to wash our hands, it was unsanitary and not right," Mitchell Reed said.
Fast forward to Feb. 2, where everyone from San Angelo Mayor Brenda Gunter to people playing basketball, present to see the ribbon cutting and the facilities open. To some, an event such as this may seem unnecessary, but for a park that memorializes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Reed believes this is the least you could do to pay your respects.
"I thought it was very disrespectful that we even had to raise money. (Because) It is a city park. It is a park that is supposed to represent Dr. King, (and) his vision. So this was long overdue," Reed said.
Now that the facilities are open, The Reed family along with the San Angelo NAACP have their eyes on making the necessary upgrades to all City Parks in San Angelo. This was the first domino apart of their plan, but it was one of the biggest.
"This cannot happen (anymore), thank God that the Martin Luther King Park spearheaded this plan but I am here to let you know that every single park in the city needs facilities like these and we will try to fix these issues," Mitchell Reed said.
You can visit Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at 2121 Martin Luther King Drive where there are now usable facilities along with a playground, basketball court, and barbecue grills.