Flavortown.
That’s what thousands of people want to rename Columbus, Ohio, according to a new petition posted on change.org.
And the petition poster sounds serious.
“Beloved Buckeyes one and all,” wrote someone identifying himself as Tyler Woodbridge. “Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself. Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That’s not exactly a proud legacy.”
“Why not rename the city Flavortown? The new name is twofold. For one, it honors Central Ohio’s proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation’s largest test markets for the food industry,” Woodbridge added. “Secondly, chef-lebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he’s such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature. ”
Fieri, famed for his blond spikes, often says “That’s Flavortown!” when tasting a dish on his show “Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives.”
The petition — signed by more than 16,000 people by Sunday morning — comes as the legacy of Christopher Columbus is once again being called into question amid race riots across the U.S. in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died on Memorial Day while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
“The Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus’ City Hall is one of several across the country that are slated to come down,” ABC-7 reported. “Statues in both San Francisco and Sacramento are also in the process of being removed. A separate statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus, Ohio, will come down from the center of Columbus State Community College’s campus.”
“For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression, and divisiveness. That does not represent our great city, and we will no longer live in the shadow of our ugly past,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther wrote in a statement. “Now is the right time to replace this statue with artwork that demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism and celebrate the themes of diversity and inclusion.”
The petition poster says he’s not sure how the city’s name can be changed. “I’m not up to date on my Columbus town charter, so whether it takes a council vote or a petition or a town referendum — let’s get the ball rolling for a more flavorful tomorrow.”
Luckily, the petition is not like some internet contests, which have led to some unusual names. When the Natural Environment Research Council ran a contest to name its newest polar research ship, the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of “RRS Boaty McBoatface.”
And if Columbus is changed to “Flavortown,” residents have a clear leader waiting in the wings.
On one show, Fieri declared himself “mayor of Flavortown.”
Look for a petition on that next.
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