Why so many geographic sites in the United States still have racist names | New

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Editor’s Note: This article, which focuses on sites named using outdated racial terminology, contains terms that many may find offensive.

Across the country, the names of schools, counties, and even birds are being reconsidered and changed, as more attention is paid to their origins and the racism these names may invoke.

In this same tradition, several regions have reconsidered geographic names containing the word “negro” – a term once considered socially acceptable, but now considered obsolete and offensive by many. In Texas, 16 of those names were finally changed, after federal council approval in June. In Vermont, residents and politicians are pushing to change the name to Negro Brook, the only problem being what to call him instead.

It’s not just nigger; other offensive terms are also used in place names across the American landscape. But why were these names created in the first place, and why have they endured?

How did these names come about?

In Vermont, many names incorporating outdated racial descriptors were initially used as meanings that black people lived in an area, State Librarian Jason Broughton said.

The use of such terminology in the state may not have explicitly had racist undertones, Broughton said, although it may have had negative connotations in other areas, serving as an unspoken warning. to stay away from a certain area.

“I wouldn’t say it was neutral, but it would be a sign that (black people are) here,” he said.

Such place names exist all over the country, especially in the South.

“What shocks people is knowing that there is stuff like that in the North or the Midwest where you think, ‘Oh, we wouldn’t have that here,'” said Broughton.

And it wasn’t always “nigger” that was used, he says. Often times, it was the most offensive “N-word” in its place, but in 1963 the federal government ordered it to be replaced by what was then considered the less offensive version – the Negro. At the time, the term “black” had not yet been widely used, he said.

There are also geographic names that feature terms offensive to Native Americans, Broughton pointed out – things like “Red Creek” or anything with the word “squaw,” a derogatory term for Native American women. According to the US Geological Survey, there are even a few sites with the insult “Chinaman” in the names.

Why have these names endured?

Although there has been pressure to change these names in recent years, the term Negro has been widely allowed to endure, having been seen as the correct term in 1963, Broughton said. He credits last summer’s protests Black Lives Matter for bringing the issue to the fore, showing that there are a lot of cultural references that need to be updated – including geographic names.

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In the case of Texas, however, the push for name changes began in 1991, when the state legislature, calling the names “racially offensive,” passed a bill requiring the renaming of 19 geographic entities. with the word “nigger” in it. Rather, the landmarks were to be renamed after a black person who had made a “significant contribution to Texas.”

Although the bill passed, the names of only two sites were changed, according to a resolution from the Texas Legislature. The others were rejected by the US Board on Geographic Names in 1998, according to the resolution.

This was only rectified recently in June, when the board finally approved the proposal to rename 16 geographic entities with the word “nigger” in it.

Rodney Ellis, now Harris County Commissioner in Texas, co-sponsored the 1991 bill as a state senator. When the board finally approved the state’s proposal in June, he said the day had been “long in coming”.

“I am proud to see this change finally happen,” he said in a statement. “At this time of racial reckoning, we must follow through on our verbal commitments to racial justice with action.”

And the change seems to be happening in other states as well. In February, the Board on Geographic Names approved the name changes of Squaw Creek in Iowa, Mulatto Mountain in North Carolina and Squaw Tits in Arizona, which will now be called Ioway or Story Creek, Simone Mountain and Isanaklesh Peaks respectively. .

What is happening now?

With pressure in Vermont and Texas to change names containing the word “nigger,” similar movements may occur across the country. With hundreds of sites still wearing Negro – and even more with words like “squaw,” “Chinaman,” and “Redskin” – there is still work to be done on the renaming front.

A spokesperson for the Board on Geographic Names told CNN that there had been no increase in requests for offensive name changes from cities or states over the past year, but that they’ve seen an increase in the share of audience members, a sign that the names conversations aren’t going away anytime soon.

Prior to her current position, Haaland served in Congress as the representative of New Mexico. In September 2020, she introduced a bill calling on the Geographical Names Board to “review and revise” offensive names of federal land units and create an advisory committee to recommend names that should be considered by the board.

And the Home Office is currently looking for ways to change some of these offensive names, the ministry’s communications director confirmed to CNN.

“The Department recognizes the offensive nature of some place names,” said Melissa Schwartz. “We are looking at the options available to rename the locations, including the authorities that can be taken by the secretary, to better deal with a number of names that do not reflect who we are as a nation.”

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