The Shocking Number of Federally Recognized Locations With Racist Names
Boring, Oregon. Cranky Corner, Louisiana. Sprinkled across America are a host of towns with names that are likely to make a traveler giggle. And then there are those locales whose names are more likely to make a visitor cringe.
There are at least 1,441 federally recognized locations across the United States with a racial slur in their name, according to an investigation released this week from Vocativ. No state is exempt, although the racially tinged names were more common in Southern and Western states. Arizona took first place with the largest number of offensively named places.
Some examples include “Dead Negro Draw,” “Squaw Tits,” and “Chinamen Trail.” Native American slurs were the most common, with “squaw” popping up in some form across nearly every state. Although some historians argue that squaw is not an offensive word, many Native Americans and advocates note that it has negative connotations and is often used to refer to a promiscuous Native American woman.
Altering the names of American locations is up to the U.S. Geographic Names Board. That’s the group that formally changed the name of Alaskan peak Mount McKinley back to Denali to honor Alaskan natives in September. But the group doesn’t actively look for names to change.
“The board is a reactive body,” Louis Yost, the board’s executive secretary, told Vocativ. “Someone needs to receive a proposal to change a name, and you have to make the argument, give your reasoning for why you want the name change, and then we contact the local governing authority.”
Although many feel these hundreds of names could benefit from updating, others maintain that they reflect history and are therefore not offensive. Similar battles are taking place across statehouses and high schools as activists demand the Confederate flag be removed from publicly owned property and that school sports teams—and the NFL—cease from using Redskins as their mascot.
But even as Confederate flag merchandise gets dropped from major retailers and dozens of schools alter their mascots, changing federal locations can prove challenging. States such as Minnesota, Oregon, and South Dakota have worked to rename locations, but the U.S. Geographic Names Board doesn’t always approve the changes. New names must not be repetitive and should represent local history. Also, the board simply does not take issue with locations including either “negro” or “squaw” in their name, Reuters reports. “Jap,” a racial slur for a Japanese person, is unacceptable, however.
Related stories on TakePart:
• Celebrities Demand Removal of Confederate Symbol From Mississippi Flag
• Forget Columbus—These Cities Are Recognizing Native Americans
Original article from TakePart
