The United States is experiencing a "renaming moment," a widespread re-evaluation and alteration of names associated with racism, colonialism, slavery, and patriarchy. This involves renaming streets, buildings, and other public symbols. African Americans are leading this onomastic activism, challenging nomenclature that perpetuates racist stereotypes and seeks to recognize Black agency. However, this moment is often misrepresented as unprecedented. This paper argues for a longer historical view of Black naming activism, drawing on Black geographies and critical place naming studies. The paper uses the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as a case study to illustrate how naming practices functioned within the broader context of the Civil Rights Movement. The authors explore the ways in which SNCC workers and communities strategically utilized naming tactics to accomplish goals beyond the widely known marches and protests. This includes the collection and dissemination of intelligence, building a community-based transportation system, and creating an atmosphere of resistance and self-determination. The paper challenges the common dismissal of renaming as merely symbolic, highlighting its role in the creation of actionable political knowledge and the empowerment of marginalized communities.

The paper draws on existing literature in several fields. Black geographies, specifically Katherine McKittrick's work on "Black livingness," provides a framework for understanding the assertion of Black humanity and the creation of Black worlds. Critical place naming studies informs the analysis of naming practices as a form of political power. The paper also engages with debates surrounding the current renaming moment, acknowledging both the support and resistance it encounters. The authors cite various sources discussing the performative nature of renaming versus its capacity to challenge structures of inequality. The research uses the concept of "thick description" to analyze the social and spatial context of naming struggles, moving beyond simple categorization of events and focusing on the embedded worldviews and power relations.

The paper uses a qualitative approach informed by Clifford Geertz's concept of "thick description." This involves an in-depth interpretive analysis of the social and spatial context surrounding SNCC's naming practices. The researchers draw on archival materials from various collections, including the Freedom Summer Digital Collection, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Tamiment Library, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Archives, and online resources like the SNCC Digital Gateway and the Civil Rights Movement Archive. The methodology emphasizes careful historical contextualization and an anti-racist ethics, acknowledging the limits of white scholars' understanding of racialized naming struggles. The study identifies three key examples of SNCC's onomastic tactics: coded surnames used in intelligence gathering via a WATS line; the naming of the Sojourner Motor Fleet, a transportation system; and the widespread use of "Freedom" in naming various initiatives and places. Each case is analyzed to demonstrate how these naming practices were integrated into broader strategies for mobilization, community empowerment, and resistance.

The paper's key findings center on SNCC's strategic use of naming as a form of activism. The use of coded surnames (tree names) for SNCC's WATS line enabled secure communication and intelligence gathering, bypassing surveillance by local phone operators. The Sojourner Motor Fleet, named after Sojourner Truth, provided reliable transportation for civil rights workers, enabling them to reach and work within rural communities, and highlighted the role of women in the movement through the leadership of Ruby Doris Smith Robinson. The pervasive use of "Freedom" in naming various initiatives (schools, libraries, songs, etc.) functioned as both a symbolic statement and a tool for creating an atmosphere of resistance and hope, countering the affective power of racism. The analysis of Freedom Houses reveals not only their practical significance in providing shelter and support but also their role in shaping a radical vision of integrated community. The paper underscores that SNCC's naming practices were not isolated actions but were integral parts of a larger assemblage of people, places, and practices working towards social change. The paper also highlights the underrepresentation of women in the popular memory of the Civil Rights Movement and emphasizes their significant contributions to SNCC's operations and strategies. The limited toponymic recognition of important women figures such as Ella Baker and Ruby Doris Smith Robinson compared to the recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. points to further needed work in achieving gender equity within commemorative practices.

The paper's findings address the research question by demonstrating the significant role of Black onomastic activism in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. The analysis of SNCC's tactics reveals that renaming was not a superficial act but a strategic tool embedded within broader political practices. The paper challenges the tendency to view renaming as a solely symbolic gesture, arguing that its efficacy lies in its integration with other aspects of mobilization and community building. By examining SNCC's onomastic practices, the paper adds to our understanding of activism and expands the definition of who counts as an activist. This contributes to a more complete and nuanced history of the Civil Rights Movement, which has often been simplified in popular representations. The findings highlight the importance of centering the lived experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities in discussions of renaming and related social justice issues.

This paper contributes to our understanding of the history of Black onomastic activism in the United States and its ongoing relevance to current renaming debates. It demonstrates the strategic and tactical significance of naming within the broader context of social movements. The analysis of SNCC's practices expands the conventional understanding of civil rights activism, highlighting the importance of seemingly less visible yet equally crucial activities in achieving social change. The paper suggests future research could investigate further instances of Black onomastic activism in other social movements, explore the varying interpretations and effects of renaming within different communities, and examine the long-term impact of these practices on social and political landscapes.

The paper acknowledges certain limitations. The analysis of SNCC's onomastic practices is not exhaustive but rather focuses on specific examples to illustrate key strategies. The difficulty in finding detailed explanations of naming practices in SNCC archives may have resulted in a partial account. However, the authors argue that this does not diminish the significance of the findings, emphasizing that the selected cases offer valuable insights into the complexities of naming as a form of activism. The paper's focus on SNCC provides a rich case study, but the generalizability to other movements may require further investigation.