RALEIGH, N.C. — Wakefield Neighbors United is trying to rally support to drop the word "plantation" from the Wakefield Plantation community name.
What You Need to Know
Wakefield Plantation is a community in North Raleigh
Wakefield Neighbors United want to drop the word “plantation” from their community
The initiative launched in January 2020
“We don’t need the word 'plantation' in our community anymore. It’s not a word that associates with the diversity that we have in our community,” said Wakefield Plantation resident Marianna Morin.
“There was never a plantation in this location. There’s no history to erase by removing the name 'plantation,'" Morin said, noting that the development was previously a mill and a dairy farm.
The initiative started in January 2020, but so far it hasn't made much progress. Last year, the home owners association sent a letter to residents asking if they would be open to the idea. However, it noted there could be a cost involved. Out of the thousands of residents, only about 280 people responded, and the board did not receive the two-thirds majority of responses it needed to move forward.
“We presented the idea of changing the ‘P’ to something like preserve or park, so we could keep the branding “WP” and there wouldn’t be as many signs to change,” Morin said.
Members of the group also knocked on doors of the homes on Wakefield Plantation Drive, thinking that maybe changing the street name first could help sway the home owners association. While they didn’t hear from every neighbor, they did receive some positive feedback.
“We're not giving up though. This isn't because it's a popular thing to talk about, this is something we truly believe deep down in our hearts, so we will fight for as long as we need to,” said Joanna King, who helped start Wakefield Neighbors United.
Professional Properties Management, which manages Wakefield's homeowners association, sent a statement to Spectrum News 1 stating that the board plans to continue to work with residents on "possible paths forward."
"The board is hopeful that continued communication with residents who are passionate about this issue will help to foster understanding of the processes required for such a change to take place and will continue to be receptive to feedback as it relates to this topic," said Jennifer Burch, Community Manager for PPM.
While there is push back from some residents, Morin hopes that eventually she and the members of Wakefield Neighbors United will be successful in changing the name.
“Change is hard, but change is what's necessary to go forward and to move forward and to be more inclusive and to be a better community and society,” Morin said.