Work is underway for a new footbridge which will commemorate the legacy of a man who drowned after being hounded by two Leeds police officers.
David Oluwale, who moved to the UK from Nigeria in 1949, was targeted because of his race, mental health and homelessness.
He was last seen running away from two police officers on Call Lane in the city centre, before his body was later pulled from the River Aire in 1969.
For more news and stories about Leeds City Council, click here.
The officers, Inspector Geoffrey Ellerker and Sergeant Kenneth Kitching went on trial more than two years after his death.
They were found not guilty of manslaughter but they were convicted of a series of assaults after numerous incidents of physical abuse against David who was living on the streets in the build-up to his death.
David’s death left a lasting social and cultural legacy as well as inspiring a string of moving books and plays.
Now Leeds City Council is working with the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA), and will name the new bridge crossing the River Aire from Sovereign Street to Water Lane in his memory.
Initial building work on the bridge has started, with the finished project forming one of the key elements of the South Bank regeneration programme.
Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, co-chair of the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA) said: "This is another positive decision by Leeds City Council, who have been incredibly supportive of DOMA's work over the past thirteen years.
"David travelled to the UK in 1949 from Lagos, Nigeria, hoping for a brighter future and spent twenty years in Leeds. He was hounded to his death in the River Aire in 1969 by two Leeds police officers. At DOMA we keep David’s story alive in our educational and campaigning work against racism, mental ill-health and homelessness today.
“Naming this bridge for David Oluwale gives residents and visitors alike a clear message that Leeds is dedicated to confronting the traumas of the past and becoming a place of welcome and sanctuary for all people.”
The council's deputy leader Councillor Jonathan Pryor added: “David Oluwale’s story must never be forgotten and naming this bridge for him will stand as a lasting and poignant memorial to his profoundly tragic death and the legacy which he left behind.
“It will also act as a symbol of the diverse place that Leeds is today and our shared hope that it will always be a better, brighter and more inclusive city which is better connected in every way.”
The move has also been welcomed by West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe, who said the case of David Oluwale highlights "just how important it is to challenge the disparities that people still experience across our communities."
The footbridge will be an "enduring symbol" of David’s life and a reminder of our collective responsibilities in calling out racism and promoting diversity, she added.
The wider proposals for the regeneration of the city’s South Bank will provide 8,000 new homes and 35,000 new jobs, new educational establishments and a new city park.
To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.
