What’s in a name . . . and for whom? How public spaces named for prejudiced individuals impact targets of prejudice

Abstract

Public spaces that are named for or commemorate prejudiced historical figures may harm targets of prejudice. They can signal what a community believes or values and, consequently, may exacerbate targets’ perceptions of hostility, reduced safety, and low belongingness. Across six studies (n = 505 BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color]; n = 1,230 White U.S. university students), we examined: the effect of space names on target versus nontarget harms of hostility, safety, and belonging (Study 1), whether space names signal community beliefs (Studies 2a and 2b), whether perceptions of space names as community belief signals mediate BIPOC targets’ exacerbated harms in spaces with prejudiced namesakes (Study 3) as well as in response to a prejudiced space being renamed or having a name retained (Study 4). Finally, we examined White versus BIPOC perceptions of space renaming with respect to sincerity and mitigated harms (Study 5). Relative to nontargets, targets reported greater harms in spaces named for prejudiced figures, and some of these exacerbated harms were driven by perceived community belief signals. White individuals reported somewhat greater optimism than BIPOC individuals about harm mitigation as consequence of renaming. Results have implications for understanding the harms of symbolic prejudice, and considerations for organizations to foster genuine, beneficial renaming initiatives.