Coined in the American South, the term "plantation" referred to institutions of agricultural mass production, which, by their very economic nature, required slave labor. Using this word to name our neighborhoods is outdated, unwelcoming, and attempts to gloss over our country's cruel history. This word is rooted in violence, oppression, dehumanization, and the commodification of black bodies. In the modern era, communities across the state of South Carolina have co-opted this word to represent the exclusivity of gated and resort living. This has created a term that is not only an overt demonstration of racism, but a symbol of how the American majority has deliberately gaslit the black community for centuries, blatantly deploying racism while insisting on good faith.

In this case, they say it's "just a word". But it's not just a word; it is an emblem of the very worst of our American history, and we can't allow it to be associated with idyllic white upper-middle and upper class life any more. 

Help us to remove this relic of slavery from Beaufort County's identity and vernacular.