Seeking to conform with the racial sensitivities of the times, Rhode Island is lopping off part of its history along with its official state name.
Legally, Rhode Island is on the books as the “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”
An executive order from Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo says that the governor’s office and all executive agencies under her control will officially use only “State of Rhode Island” as the state’s name in all correspondence until such time as a referendum is held to wipe away the second half of the official name.
She noted in the order that the word “plantation” has been an object of discussion for years and that “many of the State’s residents find it painful that a word so closely associated with slavery should appear in the official name of the state.”
As a result, the word will be stricken from websites, official notices and everything else controlled by the executive branch as soon as possible.
