Hillsborough residents want a white supremacist's name off their street
Residents in a Hillsborough neighborhood want the name of a white supremacist removed from their street sign. The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday, March 8, to consider the request.
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On February 2, a signed petition was submitted asking the board to change Thomas Ruffin Street to Hope Lane. Residents say they felt compelled to act after learning about Ruffin’s image and legacy.
Thomas Ruffin is a former state Supreme Court chief justice and white supremacist who authored an opinion that someone couldn’t be held criminally liable for assaulting an enslaved person.
“A street name is an honor, and we feel a responsibility for the subtle messages we send to all our community members,” the petition states as a reason for the name change.
“Considering all we have learned about Judge Ruffin, and considering how his image and legacy are being handled in our North Carolina public buildings recently, we, the residents of Thomas Ruffin Street, unanimously feel compelled to remove his name from our beloved street.”
According to the petition, Hope Lane is a poetic name to show a new place of concord.
The March 8 public hearing will be the first held under the town’s recently amended section of the Code of Ordinances addressing street naming and renaming.
Anyone who wants to speak will need to sign up by Friday, March 5.
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