Rhode Island May Change Official Name Over Slavery Reference

Rhode Island is renaming itself.

Its official name, “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”, has slavery connotations.

My dad, whos lives in Rhode Island his whole life, didn’t believe that Rhode Island had slaves. Rhode Island and PROVIDENCE PLANTATION!!! Prov was built on slavery! The 10 biggest slave traders in US history are from Rhode Island!!

— ?hannah? (@hick_punk) June 24, 2020

Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) signed an executive order on Monday declaring that her office would not use the word “Plantations” in future executive orders, citations, or on its website.

Rhode Island’s roots trace back to Providence Plantations, a settlement established by Roger Williams in 1636.

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Exactly it’s a Mini Massachusetts ?

— Coach Shinholster (@MavsDaddy) June 24, 2020

In addition, the Rhode Island Legislature signaled it will move forward with state Senate legislation to get a referendum on the name change on the November ballot.

The state’s only Black state senator, Harold Metts, introduced the bill.

“Whatever the meaning of the term ‘plantations’ in the context of Rhode Island’s history, it carries a horrific connotation when considering the tragic and racist history of our nation,” Metts said in a statement last week, according to the Providence Journal.

It’s a reference to Verrazano’s description of Aquidneck Island which is RI’s biggest island. “Lovely the isle of Rhodes,” basically. It stuck. When Williams colonized the Providence Plantation, the King included all the islands nearby in the colony. Hence..RI & the PP.

— AGWilson (@AGWilson) June 24, 2020

The governor’s office also plans to label stationary with only the text “State of Rhode Island” “as soon as practicable.”

The Optics Matter

All executive agencies will also remove the word “plantations” from their websites, stationery, electronic letterhead, and all official correspondence.

Raimondo’s order said executive offices “shall determine whether there is an available alternative to the use of the state seal in official documents and replace or omit such seal where possible.”

i can't tell if this is a bit, but the official name is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (which, imagine knowing that) and they're gonna change it to remove the plantation part. It doesn't really do anything useful, but it doesn't do any harm either.

— gavin (who is back in town) (@11mmyJohns) June 24, 2020

“I urge the voters to approve the name change in November but will take all measures now that are within my control to eliminate the name from my official communications and those of my executive agencies,” she said in the order.

However, the push comes during the global calls for racial justice after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

I dunno why I learned it included Providence Plantation as an elementary student in Florida. But we also learned about common wealth states and parishes n LA. The 70s were a wild time I guess

— Sissy eats grits w/hot sauce ABD,MA,M.Ed,MFA,BFA (@divafancypants) June 24, 2020

A Change.org petition from two weeks ago requesting a name change for the state now has more than 7,250 signatures.

Previous efforts to modify Rhode Island’s name were unsuccessful. Nearly 78 percent of voters opposed removing “Providence Plantations” from the name in 2010.