Perhaps a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, but when it comes to names on an official map and today's sensitivities on race and gender, Shakespeare would have come up against a society that sees words in a new light.
After a long controversy, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names last week approved changing the names of a lake and creek in Washington state that included the word "coon," an insulting term for African Americans. The board also agreed to three changes in Oregon involving the word "squaw," a derogatory term for women.
"Sometimes names that were appropriate to society no longer are," said Lou Yost, the executive secretary of the low-profile board.
The debate over the names of these little-known places took on a renewed urgency after more than a year of racial tensions and protests that have roiled police departments and college campuses across the country. The Confederate flag sparked national debate and was removed from numerous public spaces, including the grounds of the South Carolina statehouse. Streets and parks that honored pro-slavery Civil War figures have been renamed.
Daniel Luzer is GOVERNING's news editor.
