Good news, racism is almost over!
Rhode Island's Governor Gina Raimondo just declared her state's official name will change because it's too offensive.
We know what you're thinking: what's so offensive about "Rhode Island".
Here's a fun fact very few people knew until this week: technically "Rhode Island" is not the name of Rhode Island. The official name is (or was) the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and those words will now be removed from all official state documents and websites.
Governor Raimondo, a Democrat (of course) announced an executive order to delete “and Providence Plantations” earlier this week because the word “plantations” is too offensive for some people.
Raimondo said, “This morning I signed an executive order removing the phrase Providence Plantations from gubernatorial orders and citations, all executive branch agency websites, all official correspondence, and state employee pay stubs and paychecks. We can’t ignore the image conjured by the word ‘plantations.’ We can’t ignore how painful that is for black Rhode Islanders to see that.”
“To those Rhode Islanders who wonder why we are doing this and thinking it denies our history … we have members of our community who shouldn’t have to feel that sense of hurt and pain and grief every time they get a paycheck or see the name of their state or get a citation from the governor or a legislator. You shouldn’t have to get that stinging message."
The governor's administration made this move part of her "Rise Together" campaign for "rooting out racism and bias" in Rhode Island, which means more changes will soon be happening.
Image depicts Liberty in clouds, holding American flag and the Rhode Island state seal. Text reads 'Loyal to the Union.' (Photo by John Gaylord Wells/The New York Historical Society/Getty Images)