Opponents of the name say that it brings to mind images of slavery plantations, which could be offensive to many African Americans. Although the word "plantation"' in the name simply refers to a farm or a settlement in colonial times, they argue that it has taken on a negative connotation since then.
In February, state Representative David Cicilline introduced a bill that would allow voters to decide the fate of the state's name in the November elections. He says that he made the proposal in part because of the January slaying of Sergeant Cornel Young Jr., a black policeman in Providence, by two white police officers who said they mistook him for a suspect.
Many people in the state believe the shooting was racially motivated. And Cicilline thinks that changing the state's name would help to increase racial sensitivity in the state and heal a fractured community.
But supporters of the name say that it is a part of Rhode Island's history and that the original meaning is understood and accepted.
Governor Lincoln Almond has expressed concern over how much it will cost to change the state's name, which is not only on all offical documents but also on the Statehouse and part of a bronze seal in the Capitol's rotunda.
Cicilline has offered to exempt the Statehouse and the seal from the bill if it moves forward.
