UPDATE: State Will Pursue Changing Name of Offensively Named Branford Landmark

UPDATE: State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said late Wednesday that “Senator Kennedy has raised a valid issue. We willl pursue the process for changing the name.”

Original post: Senator Ted Kennedy Jr. (D-Branford) today sent a letter (attached) to Margaret Thomas, the Connecticut State Geologist, asking for her assistance renaming a navigational buoy off the coast of Branford.

The buoy and the geologic formation it marks have been identified on United States nautical maps as “Negro Heads” for roughly 100 years. As Connecticut’s representative on the State Geographic Names Board, Margaret Thomas is able to suggest a name change for this landmark.

“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,” said Senator Kennedy in a prepared statement.

“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.”

The landmark in question is located just off the southeastern coast of Branford. This reef of rocks can be a hazard to boats traveling the nearby waters, and is marked with a lighted U.S. navigational buoy to warn of the hazard. The landmark is regularly used by people navigating their vessels around Branford.

The Connecticut State Geologist is Connecticut’s representative on the State Geographic Names Board (SGNB). The SGNB is responsible for submitting a new name to the United States Board of Geographic Names, which is the organization capable of officially changing the name on all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) nautical charts and government maps.

Read below for the full letter from Sen. Kennedy:

November 18, 2015

Ms. Margaret A. Thomas Connecticut State Geologist Department of Energy & Environmental Protection 79 Elm Street Hartford, CT 06106

Dear Ms. Thomas: I am contacting you to request your assistance in resolving an important issue regarding the government names of certain landmarks.

I am directing this inquiry to your attention in your capacity as Connecticut’s representative to the State Geographic Names Board (SGNB). For at least the last 100 years, a U.S. navigational buoy in the waters near my hometown of Branford, Connecticut has borne the name “Negro Heads.”

According to navigational instructions in E. M. Blunt’s widely-used coastal pilot and guide books from the 1800s, the buoy was historically referred to by an even more racially derogatory and hurtful term. Needless to say, the name of this buoy – as well as the name of the rocks that it marks – is antiquated and offensive to me and other Branford citizens.

The waters and undersea property of Long Island Sound are owned by Connecticut’s citizens, and as Senate Chair of the General Assembly’s Environment Committee, I want to ensure these public trust assets are managed with the highest degree of integrity. Given the disrespectful and negative connotations associated with the buoy name, I would appreciate any assistance that you can provide in my efforts to change it.

It is my understanding that the process of changing a buoy name on NOAA nautical charts and government maps requires submission of an application to the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN), which would then be commented on by the SGNB. Further, it appears that the suggestion for a new name would come from the SGNB.

I would welcome any information you could provide regarding the application process, the most appropriate person or agency to submit this application, and what steps need to be taken to ensure this process is successful.

I would also appreciate a clearer understanding of the State of Connecticut’s and U.S. Government’s overall policies for changing similarly-named geographic landmarks. Thank you for your attention to this most important matter.

Please contact Jared Savas, Clerk of the Environment Committee, at 860-240-0431 or jared.savas@cga.ct.gov with any information you are able to provide.

I look forward to working with you to resolve this issue on behalf of the residents of Connecticut. Sincerely, Ted Kennedy, Jr. State Senator, 12th Senate District