Some Common Sense

From the South Dakota Argus: The South Dakota panel responsible for getting rid of offensive geographic names suspended work Tuesday on places using the word "Negro," after black leaders said the term isn't offensive and should be retained to reflect African-Americans' contributions to the state's history.
Five Black Hills sites include the word. The Board on Geographic Names met in Pierre to consider replacement names, suggested by the public, but delayed the process until they can gather more public comment.
Officials from the South Dakota African American History Museum in Sioux Falls sent the board an email last week urging that the sites continue to include the word "Negro." Museum curator Porter Williams said some of the sites were initially known by a different, offensive term.
"Negro to black people is not offensive. That's what we are. We're Negro people, black people. Negro means black," Williams told The Associated Press in a telephone int erview after the meeting.
The South Dakota Legislature in 2009 passed a law requiring that any place with that word be renamed, but Williams said using the term is recognition that black people helped develop the state.
"It does say we were here. They're trying to write us out of history. We're trying to preserve our history," Williams said.
The state board had sought public suggestions on replacement names for a ridge, a canyon, a hill, a gulch and a creek in western South Dakota. They received suggestions by mail and email, but no one testified in person Tuesday.  http://www.argusleader.com/viewart/20130604/UPDATES/130604027/Black-leaders-weigh-renaming-work-suspended
Now, if they only get Black kids from stop using the N word.