Long Island street named after KKK leader, advocates want it renamed

LONG ISLAND - Melissa Alvarez says she’s constantly reminded of racism and exclusion each time she passes Lindner Place - just steps away from her home in Malverne. 

"I personally moved here because it was a diverse community," Alvarez said. 

The street was named after developer and Ku Klux Klan leader Paul Lindner back in the early 1900s.

"We see the name Lindner as a representation of a lot of hatred and discrimination," said student Sabrina Ramharakh. 

Advocates of all ages are offering to help pay to rename Lindner Place that’s home to a library, school and church saying a street named after a KKK leader isn’t an accurate representation of the Village and it’s values. Jamie Bellamy lives on the street.  

"He wasn’t the leader of the Boy Scouts," Bellamy said. "He was the leader of the KKK who hated not only black people but Catholics Jews and all immigrants and people of color. That should be enough to want to change the name."

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While Lindner in his early life tried to do good for the Village, historian Don Pupke said he was involved in cross burnings and other acts of intimidation.

"We don’t want the head of the Ku Klux Klan to have a street named for him in Malverne," Pupke said. 

Changing the name of the street comes with opposition. Many people on social media suggest leaving it alone, saying "History is not yours to erase - it’s here for you to learn from." The mayor for his part was unavailable for an on camera interview but says he’s open to receiving information about the issue and learning more. 

"It’s easy to leave history alone but we need to address it and learn from it," Bellamy said. 

The committee pushing to change the name of the street is set to go before the Village Board at a meeting next week. While it’s unlikely a decision will be made right away, they hope it’s one step closer to their goal.

"I’m here for the long haul," Alvarez said. "If it takes years I’ll do it."