Thank You, Raimondo, on Removing Plantations, Please Consider Naming a Minority to the High Court

Thank You, Raimondo, on Removing Plantations, Please Consider Naming a Minority to the High Court

It is with exuberance and thankfulness from the bottom of my heart that I commend Governor Gina Raimondo for her extraordinary executive order to eliminate Providence Plantations, part of our Constitutional name since 1663, from gubernatorial orders and citations, websites, and paychecks. The Governor’s bold and progressive action should have a significant influence on voters in November when it goes to a statewide vote. In 2010, Rhode Islanders behaved badly by using a ballot question to reaffirm the use of this racially charged term.

During this summer of Black Lives Matter, the Governor's moral stance should serve as guidance and inspiration for all one-million of us to work for a just society. I can think of a hundred issues in the life of this state and the structure of its government that need institutional change. We spend virtually nothing to improve the health and well-being of minorities who are 24% of our population. We need to remove its mass incarceration practices and laws. We have a parole board that must operate in full public view, so that it will cease its racist practices.

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A vacant seat on the Rhode Island Supreme Court gives Governor Raimondo a shining opportunity to immediately integrate the State's highest court. The enormous symbolism of deleting Plantations from the State's name is to be praised, but addressing the high unemployment of Black, Latino and Native American youth through the Commerce Department would put the Governor in the history books for showing concern for those whose votes made it possible for her to be Governor.  

It is my hope to be poised with further praise for the Governor when she continues to use her executive pen and appointment power to change Rhode Island into a state that fully acknowledges and values its minority population. 
 

Ray Rickman is Executive Director of Stages of Freedom, and former Deputy Secretary of State and Democratic State Representative (401) 316-4819