Politically correct renaming

Politically correct renaming refers to the form of mind control that confuses and undermines a person's self-confidence by altering familiar frames of reference. Society tends to honor historic figures by applying their name to cities, rivers, colleges, professorships or buildings. In some cases, the naming is due to a donation and in other cases it is an expression of gratitude or tribute to virtue. In this way, society designates the person as an example of virtue. Similarly, the person honored builds his image, brand or reputation.

Critical race theory demands a re-examination of naming decisions, particularly with regard to whether the honored individual held beliefs that would not be acceptable in today's society. If a person owned slaves during a time that slavery was legal and an acceptable form of investment, such ownership under this theory makes the person unworthy of present-day honor and the name must be changed. Instead of acknowledging that people are very complicated with both virtues worth celebrating along with failings, historic figures must be erased at the slightest provocation. This is an application of cancel culture to a target that does not have a present career.

Some protestors seeking to erase these historic figures have defaced or vandalizes statues or markers commemorating them. In response, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence.

Examples

Local Democratic Party units held a nation-wide series of fundraising dinners called the Jefferson Jackson Dinner. These events have been renamed, for example as "Blue Victory Dinners."

The Jefferson Davis Highway was a national road designed before highway route numbers became common in response to the designation of a coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway through northern states. Local governments are now renaming their segments of the Jefferson Davis Highway.

In 1944, Liberty Hyde Bailey named an area of the Cornell University campus the "Cornell Plantations" to serve as a botanic teaching area. That department earned an international reputation. In response to the demands of black students who claimed the word "plantations" reminded them of slavery, it was renamed the "Cornell Bonatic Gardens". In 2010, Rhode Island voters rejected a constitutional amendment to change the state’s official name, "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations".

Princeton University honored Woodrow Wilson, who served as both President of Princeton and of the United States, by naming its public policy school after him. In 2020, Princeton removed his name from the school.

Student protestors demanded that Washington and Lee University change its name even though Robert E. Lee served as President of that school. The school faculty voted to support dropping the name.

In California, a number of streets and buildings were named for Father Junípero Serra who established a string of missions along the California coast. Activists are demanding name changes in light of his mistreatment of the indigenous population. In 2019 Stanford University’s Serra House where the Clayman Institute for Gender Research is located was renamed the Carolyn Lewis Attneave House. That same year, Stanford University’s other Serra House located in Lucie Stern Hall was renamed the Sally Ride House. It was formerly named after Serra.

David Starr Jordan was a University of Indiana professor of zoology from 1875 to 1885 and then served as UI's seventh President from 1885 to 1891. He then left to be founding president of Stanford University. Jordan Hall, Jordan River, Jordan Avenue and the Jordan Parking Garage were all named in his honor. On July 2, 2020, a UI committee was appointed to consider renaming these because some people disagree with certain statements and views that Jordan held.