Insulting names line the road map of America – a new app offers the possibility to track them down

The racially motivated tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, in which a white supremacist murdered nine black worshippers, and the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia two years later, forced Americans to confront the role that memorials, monuments and other symbols play in glorifying racist ideologies.

The killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 only added urgency to this challenge.

Part of the racial reckoning following Floyd’s death is a movement to remove offensive names from public places. Some names perpetuate demeaning insults and stereotypes against people of color. Others honor historical figures associated with racism and colonization. This movement is what we geographers call America’s “renaming moment.”

Government officials, activists and others have called for the renaming of certain places and institutions. Examples include the removal of Christopher Columbus’ name from a Chicago public school and the removal of former KKK leader and governor Bibb Graves’ name from a University of Alabama building. Another example is the removal of the names of Confederate generals from several U.S. military bases.

These changes have become focal points of social engagement and debate, both in support of and opposition to name changes.

A common element of these renamings is offensive street names. We believe that discussions and decisions about removing these names can benefit from comprehensive sources of information that show the public how widespread the problem facing the country may be.

With the recent release of an app developed by STNAMES LAB, an international team of place name researchers, users can create nationwide inventories of discriminatory street names and learn how frequently and where they occur.

We believe the app is an important educational tool that will help communities understand how discriminatory views are embedded in everyday life and the harm that offensive names can cause.

After tracking some of the most controversial names of places and institutions in America, we believe the app will help people identify the changes needed to recognize and correct past mistakes in street naming.

Recognizing that names can hurt and heal

It is increasingly recognised that place names are not neutral place names. Rather, they can convey harmful messages that misrepresent the history and identity of minority communities. As a result, they work against the possibility of a more equal society.

In November 2021, a much-noticed campaign to identify and replace offensive place names took place.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold the office, ordered the removal of the word “squaw,” or “sq—,” from the names of 650 mountains, rivers and other places on federal lands. Haaland’s order culminated years of calls by Native American groups to stamp out the racist and sexist label.

Then, in 2022, Haaland founded the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names, which consists of members of tribal nations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and scholars. Its guiding principles call on the U.S. to recognize the historical role of racism and sexism in place naming. They also highlight how those in power have used names to disrespect, misrepresent, and control certain groups that have historically faced discrimination.

The committee reviewed two years of public comments and found that derogatory place names are a source of recurring trauma for groups that have historically been discriminated against. One Native American community leader told the committee, “Names are important because they can build or destroy a relationship with the land and have the power to strengthen or marginalize communities.”

A 2022 report from the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and the Wilderness Society found that derogatory place names can create an unwelcoming environment that some people avoid. Additionally, a 2022 study from Emory University found that homes on streets named after anti-slavery Confederates cost less and take longer to sell than comparable homes on nearby streets.

Renaming streets is an important step towards reconciliation within the community, as the frequent use of offensive street names takes a heavy social and psychological toll on marginalized communities, according to cultural historian Deirdre Mask.

Some members of oppressed communities describe how removing hurtful names from streets changes the spirit or atmosphere of places and enables healing.

The difference an audit makes

The Home Office committee suggests that efforts to change offensive names should be based on research, calling on local residents to find out where derogatory place names exist, when and how they were given, and how these names may affect the wellbeing of community members.

Data scientist Catherine D’Ignazio and her team at the Data + Feminism Lab share a similar view. They are calling for audits to be conducted that collect and visualize data on inequitable names to denounce the harmful impacts and abuses of power behind these symbols.

This is exactly what STNAMES LAB’s newly released street name app enables. Enriched with Open Street Map data, it allows users to perform queries, map and download streets with specific terms.

Once users enter a name, they can check the exact location of the named streets on a map. They can also download the query results as a spreadsheet to get the full list of streets.

The app provides a simple visualization of the frequency and geographic distribution of names. You can see whether the name occurs across the country or is concentrated in a specific region.

Demonstration of the app

To illustrate the app’s capabilities, we looked for names that have sparked public controversy.

The federal government’s condemnation of “sq—” as a place name does not mean that local authorities will follow suit, although some cities and states are already doing so. We found 429 streets in 47 states whose names contain the word “sq—”.

Although “sq—” comes from the Algonquian language, the word was corrupted and misused by European settlers to reduce Native American women to a simplistic and sexualized image. For Indigenous women, being called a “sq—” is still a painful everyday reality. Many of them say the term hurts their self-image and sense of belonging.

The street name app exposes further racist stereotypes of Native Americans. Variations of “Redman/Men” and “Redskin” appear on 211 streets.

“Redskin” is a depiction of Native Americans as warlike and dangerous. According to Native American author Angelina Newsome, colonialists often used the term synonymously with “savage.”

We found 415 streets in 46 states that contain the word “Savage” in their name.

Although references to the terms “Redman” and “Redskin” have long appeared in consumer products and sports team mascots, many indigenous groups consider these stereotypes to be demeaning.

The nationwide search for offensive street names is about more than just gathering information. Data and maps can help raise awareness and care for people who have to live with unjust naming practices.

Identifying and visualizing these inequalities is key to developing a “civic imagination,” which scholar Catherine D’Ignazio argues is necessary to imagine and demand more inclusive alternatives to the current American naming landscape.

This is not just about removing offensive names per se, but also about making the places marked with those names more welcoming and respectful to all Americans.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.