------Original message------
From: Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelberg@gmail.com>
To: "USA Africa Dialogue Series" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 1:12:21 PM GMT-0800
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name
Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name
http://www.thelocal.se/39084/20120213/
Published: 13 Feb 12 16:06 CET
A suburb of Mjällby, southern Sweden, which has been known by locals
as 'Negro Village' for forty years, will be changing its name after a
storm of recent attention.
Sweden Democrat: 'a negro is a negro' to me (28 Nov 11)
Immigrant students get 'Negro' Swedish lesson (20 May 11)
Swedish town ditches 'negro' neighbourhood (24 Sep 09)
'Negro Village' (Negerby) was initially christened by locals after a
trend in the village's infrastructure.
"It all started over 40 years ago," said Lars-Göran Björklund, CEO of
Sölvesborgshem, the housing company which manages the area.
"Some 14 or 15 houses were built with black chimneys, and the
townspeople decided to call the town Negerby. There was no harm in
that word at the time, and there were no problems with the town name,"
he told The Local.
While 'Negro Village' never became the official name of the suburb,
the expression stuck in local parlance, and it was 40 years before
anyone decided to take action.
"It wasn't until a journalist came to town a while back and made a big
deal about it that people got upset. Now we have discussed it and have
decided not to use the name at all anymore."
The company is now using the temporary title of Slottsstaden ('Castle
City') while discussions are underway to find something better.
"The chairman has suggested that we hold a competition to find a new
name for the area, which hopefully will happen soon," Björklund said.
In September 2009, a neighbourhood in Karlstad, southern Sweden, was
forced to be renamed from Negern ('The Negro') after a public outcry.
Oliver Gee (news@thelocal.se)
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