Should The State of Wyoming Rename ‘Negro Creek’ and ‘Wop Draw’? [POLL]
Did you know there's a river in Wyoming named "Negro Creek"? In fact, there's a few of them.
The creek runs along State Highway 42 between Sheridan and Buffalo. Another Negro Creek runs through Teton County between Jackson and Dubois. There is also a Negro Creek Park southeast of Casper near Banner Mountain.
These days, the term "negro" is considered to be offensive by many. Although it was commonplace in the '50s and '60s, it has fallen out of favor along with other racially charged words like "colored" and "oriental".
For many years, the name was even more offensive. The creek, which was originally known by a derogatory slur for African Americans, was renamed in 1964.
Wyoming isn't the only state with a Negro Creek. Across the country, there are 757 places with the term negro in their name.
Furthermore, Negro Creek isn't the only place in the Cowboy State with a potentially offensive name. Similar complaints have been levied against "Wop Draw Valley" in Johnson County.
In 2012, an effort to rename several landmarks in South Dakota failed after the U.S. Board on Geographic Names ruled that the term negro was not offensive. Other attempted name changes have sparked controversy across the country.
Which begs the question, should the State of Wyoming change racially-charged names like Negro Creek and Wop Draw? Tell us what you think.