WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The debate surrounding Rhode Island’s latest vote on a new title

content warning: discussions of anti-Black violence and and his followers stood for,” said Ian Barbour, the passed with 52.8 percent of the vote. mentions of racial slurs directed at Black, Latinx, and creator of a Facebook page made in 2010 opposing the Providence resident Yara Doumani B’22 was Asian communities referendum, in an interview with the Indy. “Religious shocked, but glad that it passed. freedom, freedom of self determination, the separa- “To me, it has always seemed that white Rhode In 2000, a conversation on reparations—monetary tion of church and state, and the limitation of the state’s Islanders would never let the name change slide. Given compensation for descendants of enslaved Africans— power over individual freedom.” the deep proliferation of the settler-colonial myth was raised across the United States as both a theoret- Plantations are not and should not be synony- of the United States’ founding, I thought they would ical and substantive policy concern. In Rhode Island, mous with freedom. Religious freedom for Quakers respond to the removal of ‘plantations’ in a reactionary however, critical thinking about legacies of slavery had in the Rhode Island colony is an admirable and bright way,” she told the Indy. manifested in another way: a debate about the state’s moment in Rhode Island history. But favoring and In the last two decades, the American public has name “The State of Rhode Island and Providence cherry-picking particular parts of Rhode Island heri- dug deeper into painful histories of slavery, drawing Plantations.” tage that are worthy of glory and praise obscure the links between the inhumanization and subgjugation of

The United States’ history is inextricably linked to fact that plantations were unquestionable sites of gross enslaved people to the institutions and norms that are slavery, from the Confederate statues people may pass injustice, rape, and genocide. often rendered neutral or written off as “just the way every day to racial disparities in healthcare systems So, here lies the greatest tension in the debate over history goes.” attributable to colonial-era medicine. Rhode Island, whether to change the name: the production of partial Professor Anthony Bogues, director of the Center despite some claims to the contrary, is not an exception historical narratives. for the Study of Slavery and Justice, points clearly to to this reality. Barbour most likely refers to the earlier definition the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) as a facilitator

Keith Stokes, vice president of the 1696 Heritage of plantation, which is detached from slavery. But for in opening such conversations. “The public landscape Group—a historical consulting firm dedicated to all pride attached to Rhode Island’s history, we must typically reflects dominant values and ideas. What sharing knowledge about the history of people of color remember that some individuals were not even free to BLM does is force the country to think about some of in America—emphasized the magnitude of the slave hold citizenship and autonomy, much less free to exer- the monuments and names that are rooted in history trade in Rhode Island’s history. cise religious freedom or self-determination. While it having to deal with racial slavery in the United States,”

Despite the colonial cities of Providence and is true that Roger Williams opposed slavery, his asso- he said to the Indy. Warwick passing statutes limiting the enslavement of ciation with the Quaker abolitionist movement veers Since the BLM movement began in 2013, viral Black and Indigenous individuals earlier than several toward Rhode Island exceptionalism. There were still videos and devastating photographs have circulated other colonies, Rhode Island continued to thrive off enslaved individuals at the time of Rhode Island’s the internet depicting the murder of Black people, and the labor of Indigenous and enslaved Africans who founding. It is said that as a tiny underdog colony, public opinion has grown considerably more favorable contributed to the rum, molasses, and sugar econo- Rhode Island built itself into an hub of free trade and towards the movement. Social media has provided mies for nearly two more centuries. freedom. But, free trade—capitalistic economies—and robust tools to share information, making tangible the

“The slave trade economy is very much a part of the freedom rarely peacefully coexist. sorts of knowledge and images of harm that previously early settlement, early success, and certainly origins As Vanessa Quainoo, professor of Africana Studies may have only been discussed in theory. Perhaps, in of early Rhode Island,” Stokes said. “Only Charleston, at the University of Rhode Island, recently said in the past, one could claim ignorance of the connotaSouth Carolina or New York would have higher aProvidence town hall, “A plantation is a profit-based tions of a word like “plantation.” But in the aftermath percentages of enslaved [individuals] as a part of the entity and it is contingent upon slave labor—that’s of Black liberation movements, as activists scrutinize population.” where the profit comes from. Many people argue that the criminal justice system and its deep links to racial

In fact, by 1750, the Rhode Island colony did have it’s the demarcation of the land as a beautiful, romantic dominances, this word conjures strong emotions—both the highest percentage of enslaved individuals in all ideal [that supports arguments of] preserving the of enslavement and of the many policies sprung up to of New England. Nearly a century later when Rhode name.” circumvent the intellectual and physical movement of Island banned slavery in 1853, as with the previous stat- The slave labor that enabled terms such as planta- Black people in the US. utes, white residents continued to trade and exploit tion economies to emerge conjures images of plunder, The Indy attended a virtual Treasury town hall enslaved Black populations until the Civil War. assault, and genocide for many Black and indigenous on October 28 hosted by R.I. General Treasurer Seth

Many prominent Rhode Island politicians and individuals when they see the word “plantation.” But Magaziner on the topic of removing plantations from members of the State House of Representatives were for others, when they think of the word “plantation,” the state name. also slave traders, most notably John Brown, one of the they replace the reality of slavery with notions of One of the legislators who worked on the 2010 benefactors of Brown University. economic prosperity and a colony full of innovation ballot referendum, Representative Anastasia P.

The linguistic origins of plantation are “a planting and independent thinking. Williams, frankly reflected in the town hall that, “10 with people or settlers, a colonization,” or in the case of This could explain why 10 years ago, when the years ago [there was] not enough effort, not enough of Rhode Island state’s name, “a colony, an original settle- referendum to vote for the name amendment was a campaign of educating the people on how dark the ment in a new land” by 1610s, according to the Online posed as a question on the ballot, for the first time, word is in today’s society.” Etymology Dictionary. The “Century Dictionary” from Rhode Island voters overwhelmingly rejected the “What happened to George Floyd, if that had never 1895 further places a geographical location to planta- change, with 250,446 votes in opposition compared to taken place for the world to see… this opportunity [and] tions being in the “tropical or semi-tropical country, 71,162 votes in favor. the crossroad that we find ourselves in today would such as the southern parts of the United States, South At the time, there were not enough votes to bring never have been here for us,” Representative Williams America, the West Indies, Africa, India, Ceylon, etc., about the name change, as most Rhode Island voters added, “We have to be honest about it. It would’ve in which cotton, sugar-cane, tobacco, coffee, etc., are didn’t have awareness or “sensitivity” to the name’s been business as usual.” cultivated, usually by negroes, peons, or coolies.” significance, former State Representative Tony Pires Given that some Rhode Islanders may not be

Given how much slave trade thrived in Rhode told the Indy. “It’s a tough sell to make to folks who constantly thinking about the presence of “plantations” Island, it is surprising how “plantation” has been haven’t been subject to that level of discrimination.” in the state’s title—or may not even have been aware of disembodied from a conversation on slavery. What This past Tuesday, voters across RI once again had its inclusion, since the state is often referred to simply could explain why people don’t associate the two? the chance to vote on the amendment. A debate nearly as “Rhode Island”—the Indy wonders what could

“Preserving the words ‘Providence Plantations’ in 20 years in the making finally yielded an amendment explain people’s present-day reluctance to remove the state name means preserving what Roger Williams that thousands consider to be long overdue. Question 1 such antiquated language from the state name.

Some have maintained the position that changing the name holds little substantive importance.

“We ought to be working on projects that actually eliminate racial injustices or inequities in the legal system as far as sentencing,” Dr. Patrick T. Conley, Rhode Island Historian Laureate, said to the Indy. “Do something positive and not just knock out the word ‘plantation’ from a state when it has nothing to do with slavery.” The role of Historian Laureate in Rhode Island is to disseminate information about the state’s history and heritage. Dr. Conley has certainly not shied away from voicing his reactions to a number of op-eds in the Providence Journal questioning the role of diversity as a qualifier for RI supreme court judges and defending why Rhode Island should keep “Providence Plantations” in its official name. When the Indy further asked if Dr. Conley believed that the state amendment held symbolic power, he answered “No.” Arguing that the word “plantation” has “nothing to do with slavery,” is a bold claim to level—but challenging the misconceptions that lead to such a belief requires thinking through the word’s impact on an individual level. support changing the name. “Forces beyond our borders changed the meaning of the word ‘plantation.’ We were not innocent in that process, though,” John Brennan wrote for the “Vote Yes on 1” campaign. “In many years, perhaps as many as 90 percent of all the people kidnapped from their homes and sold into slavery on plantations were transported on ships with a ‘Rhode Island and Providence Plantations’ flag and registry.” As Rep. Williams alluded, it was not until recently that people began to challenge the notion of Rhode Island’s ‘innocence,’ a version of history that downplayed the state’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. “The greatest challenge facing the African heritage and Indigenous people of Rhode Island and really across America is not only racism, it’s invisibility,” said Stokes. “Far too much of our American history is still being taught, interpreted, memorialized from an owner class—the majority viewpoint. We have an opportunity here in Rhode Island in how we tell the inclusive history of all Americans.” underneath the word plantations. I don’t know. That doesn’t make me feel too good at all.” The discomfort that Black individuals feel knowing that their home is associated with the name “plantation,” serves as a constant reminder that our ancestors were once considered someone else’s property. This amendment has once again served as an opportunity to exchange perspectives on the real pain elicited by the word “plantation,” at a time when Rhode Island also considers changing the names of streets and statues linked to colonial era slave-traders. This state amendment “is not erasing the history of Rhode Island,” said Rep. Williams, “but adding to it and doing it together.” BY Osayuwamen “Uwa” Ede-Osifo ILLUSTRATION XingXing Shou DESIGN Clara Epstein +++ Certain Rhode Island residents like Barbour and Dr. Conley view the state amendment as a misguided attempt to rewrite history and advance political agendas that they believe do not have a place in discussing the state’s name. However, this conversation does not diminish what the state amendment could accomplish. Movements to remove the second half of Rhode Island’s name have certainly gained traction since the first referendum, however overdue they are, with petition singing campaigns that gained the attention and approval of Governor Gina Raimondo as well as the online “Vote Yes on 1” campaign that features testimonials from residents across the state on why they I submit that language has always had power in its symbolism. But, if most of the time, the full name of Rhode Island is not being invoked, why does it matter? It is the looming invisibility of “Providence Plantations” in the state’s name that depicts the afterlives of slavery. To see the state’s official name on identification cards, public laws, other official documents or charters is to make plantation and all the experiences that accompany its fraught roots institutionalized. Seeing “plantation” in these contexts almost deifies the word and perpetuates the uneven power dynamics of a word that causes distress, but was incorporated into the official state name by white slave traders. State Representative Joseph Almedia said in an interview with NPR, “You got a Black man, his picture OSAYUWAMEN “UWA” EDE-OSIFO B’22is more than ready to discuss the legacies of slavery in America.