Alvin Holmes a state representative from Alabama does not want the state to rename the Rosa Parks Library. The Democrat from Montgomery said if the City council agrees to make the change, he would block all city and county legislation. Holmes said it would be very difficult to explain to anyone around the world, who knows what Parks represents, why the city in which she made her historic civil rights stance, would take her name off a landmark.

If Montgomery people eliminate Parks’ name from a building it is completely asinine, said Holmes. Last May, the board of directors of the city library unanimously voted to make a change in the name of the library to honor Bertha Williams, who was a public librarian in the city for over 21 years. The move was approved unanimously last Monday by the Montgomery County Commission.

The board of directors’ chairman Thomas McPherson said that currently the library is only named after the street where it is located. Previously it was named the Cleveland Avenue Library, but when the street was changed to Rose Parks Avenue, the library received a name change as well.

Holmes said ultimately it was up to the City Council to decide, but he is adamant that the name of Rosa Parks should stay on and if they want, the name of Bertha Williams could be added to it. The city’s mayor Todd Strange also wants Parks’ name to remain and hopes that the Council will find a way to use both Parks’ name and Williams’.