BRANFORD–A state senator has requested that a state landmark with a racist name be renamed.
On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., D-Branford, wrote a letter to Margaret Thomas, the state’s geologist, asking for help on getting a Branford buoy renamed.
The buoy and its geologic formation, which are located off the southeastern coast of Branford, have been identified on U.S. nautical maps as “Negro Heads” for nearly 100 years, and the senator feels it’s time to make a change.
“The name of this buoy and the corresponding land mass is antiquated and offensive to me and the citizens of Branford. I believe that this buoy name and other similarly-named landmarks should be changed,” Kennedy said. “This kind of term has no place in our society, and I am eager to work alongside our State Geologist and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to have it removed from our state.”
He reached out to Thomas because she is Connecticut’s representative for the State Geographic Names Board, so she has the power to suggest a new name. The SGNB submits names to the United States Board of Geographic Names to have something officially changed on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nautical charts and governmental maps.
The buoy exists because there is a reef of rocks in the area that is hazardous to boats, and the buoy is a lighted U.S. navigational buoy meant to warn people.
While the letter was not directed at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the department does manage the waters in Connecticut, including the Long Island Sound, where the buoy is located.
“Senator Kennedy has raised a good point and we will pursue the process for having this name changed,” said Dennis Schain, communications director for DEEP.
Earlier this year–after the suspect of the Charleston church shooting that left nine black parishioners dead was found to have been motivated by a desire to start a race war–institutions nationwide debated whether they should continue being named for historical figures with ties to slavery and the Confederacy.
