Race, History, Names And Symbols

Protests over the killing of 46-year old black man George Floyd by Minneapolis police have forced a national conversation about race, including the racist symbols and figures that continue to exist in our society. Earlier this week, Gov. Ralph Northam called for districts to take Confederate names off of schools in Virginia, and monuments and statues to the Confederacy have been coming down across the country. Companies bearing racial stereotypes like Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and Cream of Wheat have announced they are changing their names and updating their branding. We ask the question: What’s in a name? How do we determine which ones should stay or go?