With NAACP support, Utah county decides not to rename Negro Bill Canyon [View all]
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
Officials have rebuffed a new push to change the name of a southern Utah canyon that's offensive to some but a point of historical pride for the state's largest NAACP chapter.
The Grand County Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to keep the name Negro Bill Canyon, which was dubbed for a black cowboy whose cattle grazed there in the 1870s, councilwoman Mary McGann said.
... Jeanetta Williams, president of the Salt Lake City chapter of the NAACP, opposed the effort. She says the name isn't offensive and is instead a point of pride because it makes clear the canyon is named for a black historical figure.
... The canyon is a popular hiking spot in Moab, which attracts tourists from all over the world to its unique red-rock landscapes in nearby national parks. The canyon features one of the longest natural arches but its name makes tourists and locals uncomfortable, McGann said.
Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/home/2808812-155/utah-to-keep-controversial-canyon-name
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