CARRBORO, N.C. -- Some residents want to rename their Orange County town.
- Some are hoping to rename Carrboro
- The town is named after a man who gave a divisive speech during the dedication of the Silent Sam statue
- A similar petition failed in 2016
Carrboro is named after Julian Shakespeare Carr.
He's a famous textile mill business man, also known for his divisive speech during the dedication of Silent Sam, a Confederate statue which was toppled at UNC in recent weeks.
Carrboro resident of 23 years and UNC professor, Deb Aikat, says the name doesn't reflect the character and progressive nature of the town.
"The character of this place is vibrant, very progressive, and people are very welcoming. And this is a great place to live," said Aikat. "You know, I fear that at some point, some group of people will try to publicize Carrboro as a bad place because of the bad associations with the name."
Carrboro was the first municipality in the state to elect an openly gay mayor, as well as the first in the state to grant domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples.
There's no word on whether or not town officials will consider the renaming idea, but a similar petition failed in 2016.
