ENCANTO, Calif. (KGTV) - Black leaders remembered a trailblazer in Black hair care on Thursday as they pushed for a portion of Tooley Street in Encanto to be renamed after Willie Morrow, who passed in 2022.
"When your name's as good as gold because of how you treated people, that is the greatest thing that any heir could inherit," said Cheryl Morrow, Willie's eldest daughter, fondly remembering her dad as a black hair care pioneer.
Willie Morrow was an innovator and entrepreneur who invented the Afro Pick and was a pioneer of the Jheri Curl hairstyle.
Morrow's reputation skyrocketed in the early 1970s. The Department of Defense hired him to train thousands of barbers and beauticians in proper Black hair care throughout the U.S. military.
"There's not one person who walks this street that doesn't look to the right or left and say, 'Wow. What a vision,'" said Carleton Overstreet, Jr., the president of the San Diego Hip Hop 5k.
Thursday, applause in memory of the San Diego Entrepreneur, along with a major proposal. Advocate Shane Harris called on the San Diego City Council to rename a portion of Tooley Street in Encanto after Morrow.
"Dr. Willie Morrow gets the recognition that he is worthy of here in the city of San Diego right here on the street where he raised his kids, where he built community, where he connected with the entire city, and where he studied all of his chemicals and everything that he was preparing to do on the next saga," said Harris.
In this next chapter, Yvette Porter Moore emphasized that the rename would solidify Morrow's impact. Moore is the founder of Root Digger Genealogy Research Services.
"It's not just about changing a name," said Moore. "It's about affirming the legacy of a man who proudly and profoundly shaped San Diego and beyond."
Cheryl believes the rename would be the right choice. She said her dad, Willie, was passionate about San Diego.
"He loved this city," said Cheryl Morrow. "He loved this community with all his heart."
ABC 10News reached out to Councilmember Henry Foster, who represents the area, about the next steps in renaming the street. We haven't heard back.
