Rhode Island plans to remove part of its state name from official documents and agency websites.
Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, announced Monday that she will be signing an executive order to remove part of her state’s title, “and Providence Plantations,” from official documents after critics said it unnecessarily evokes the legacy of slavery.
“Rhode Island was founded on the principles of acceptance and tolerance, and our state’s name — and actions — should reflect those values,” Raimondo said.
Changing the state’s name altogether would require approval from Rhode Island’s legislature and a sufficient majority among state voters in a constitutional referendum.
The order, which is a response to nationwide protests and riots over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, also requires mandatory implicit bias training for all employees within the state’s executive branch.
In a Monday press release, Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner said he would cut part of the state’s official name on future state government financial records, letterheads, and other correspondence as part of efforts “to be a safe and welcoming place for all.”
“For African-Americans and other People of Color, ‘plantations’ are synonymous with centuries of race-based slavery and violence. In my discussions with African-American leaders in recent weeks, they have explained the chilling feeling they have when seeing the word ‘plantations’ on Rhode Island government letters, citations, and checks,” he said.
“Besides, everyone calls us just ‘Rhode Island’ anyway,” Magaziner concluded.
The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was the final state among the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution of the United States on May 29, 1790.
