An effort is underway to change racist place names in west Saint John and Lorneville, including the Negro Point breakwater which connects Partridge Island to the city and Negro Head.
The New Brunswick Black History Society is working with the province on these name changes. Project coordinator Ralph Thomas says that people are actually using the n-word to describe the locations, and they’re looking to change the place names to something that’s accepted by all people.
“Some people in some parts of the community they’re still using the old slang word,” says Thomas. “Some words don’t really think that it hurts anybody but it really does. It’s derogatory, it’s demeaning.”
It’s being suggested that the Negro Point breakwater should be changed to Hodges point after the Hodges families. Thomas points to the accomplishments of Fred Hodges of Saint John, the first black person to be elected to public office in his community, which he says shows young black people you can be whatever you want to be if you apply.
“You get an education, you want to do the things you want to do or you have the burn to do something. It can be done without someone saying to you ‘what makes you think you’re going to become anything’,” says Thomas.
It’s also being suggested that the location in Lorneville called Negro Head be changed to Lorneville Head and that there be some sort of monument to the black loyalists who were buried there in the 1700s.
Common Council gave their support to this at its latest meeting on Monday evening.
