Results are close as Raleigh’s Cameron Park neighborhood votes on changing its name
In a close, divided vote, one of Raleigh’s most affluent neighborhoods has voted to change its name.
Residents of Cameron Park, a mostly white, century-old community off Hillsborough Street, voted 240-201 to change the neighborhood’s name, which references the Cameron family, once one of the largest holders of enslaved people in North Carolina.
The decision came after months of tense debate that led to neighborhood arguments and the eventual locking of the neighborhood’s email listserv.
“The community should be so proud of what we have accomplished,” said Andrew Bagwell, president of the neighborhood association, in a message to neighbors. “We created an inclusive, open and courageous process. We educated ourselves and decided this issue as a family.”
“Please continue to be kind and demonstrate that while we might disagree on an issue, we all agree that it is our community spirit and connection to a place we love that makes this neighborhood such a wonderful and beautiful home,” he wrote.
Monday’s announcement comes after Cameron Village shopping center voted in January to change its name to just The Village.
Residents of Cameron Park who wanted to change their neighborhood’s name said it would reaffirm the community’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Keeping it was hurtful to the few neighbors of color, they also said.
Those who wanted to keep the name noted positive memories associated with it, as well as the neighborhood’s progressive reputation. A new name would be a symbolic gesture, they said.
Potential new names list coming
In addition to the vote, neighbors also listed potential new names and attributes they would like to see in a new name. The list will be released for residents to vote on by Nov. 15, according to Bagwell’s message.
Once a new name is picked, that name will be presented to the city to update its official neighborhood list.
“We will then contact all relevant public and private entities to inform them of the change,” he said. “This will include the federal government (National Parks Service who maintains the National Register of Historic Places), state of NC, Google, Apple, Microsoft, ESRI, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, Nextdoor and so on.”
The names won’t change on legal deeds or plats.
“This is the continuation of a longer conversation about what more we can do to make our community a more inclusive and equitable place,” he said. “This has made us all aware of what more we can and need to do.”
This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Results are close as Raleigh’s Cameron Park neighborhood votes on changing its name."
