What’s in a name? For the state of Rhode Island, years of acrimony for an official designation with connotations of slavery.
But the change is brewing in the union’s smallest state, as Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order on Monday taking the “first steps” to change the state’s full name: “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. “
The “plantations” part of the name has come under increased scrutiny following widespread protests following the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
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Protesters attend a rally outside the state house in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 5, 2020. The smallest state in the US USA It has the longest name, and is not right for some in the George Floyd era. Rhode Island was officially incorporated as “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” when it declared statehood in 1790. (AP Photo / Matt O’Brien, File)
The order, Executive Order 20-48, will change the name to just ‘Rhode Island’ in official communications from the Governor’s office, including future executive orders, appointments and stationery letterhead. It also calls on all state executive agencies to remove the “plantations” reference from their websites.
The order does not change the official name of the state permanently; That will require voters to modify the Rhode Island Constitution, the order indicates.
The state Legislature has indicated it will move forward with the referendum after the Rhode Island Senate passed a measure last week calling for a state vote on the name change.
The bill was introduced by Rhode Island’s only black senator, Harold Metts.
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“Whatever the meaning of the term ‘plantations’ means in the context of Rhode Island history, it has a horrible connotation when you consider the tragic and racist history of our nation,” Metts said in a statement to the Providence Journal.
Previous attempts to rename the state have failed after the problem was put on the ballot. In 2010, nearly 78 percent of voters opposed a constitutional amendment that removed ‘Providence Plantations’ from the state’s name.
The recent push for a name change may have started when an online petition began circulating after Floyd’s death.
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“Some Rhode Islanders take pride in living in the ‘smallest state with the longest name.’ But the story of how we got this name is often forgotten, ”the petition reads. It currently has almost 7,500 signatures.
