;-))))
Posted on 03/30/2006 12:41:35 PM PST by twippo
Someone needs to sit our people down and have a healthy discussion about the names we as African Americans are giving our children. We are hurting our kids and putting their futures in peril from the moment they are born.
That’s right, I said it. We are KILLING our kids and crippling their futures with the names we give them. Don’t you want your kids to get JOBS someday? Good jobs, and serious careers? With a name like Jaquez Ja’Quan Diante’, you’re dooming your sons to a life of drug dealing on some seedy street corner.
Our Black men face enough challenges. I do not subscribe to the notion that we are giving our children names that “convey pride in their African Heritage”. We’re way off the mark. I’ve got dear friends from all over Africa, and their children have beautiful cultural names like Akos, Ama, and Fia.
Notice how neither of those names had a “quita” in it? Or an “eisha”? Or more than four syllables? That’s because even in the motherland, they don’t give their kids the crazy names that we do in Black America. Many Africans even RESENT the implication that these names stem from their culture. I’ve yet to meet anyone from any African nation named Shaquandiniquah Takei’sha, or any other of the ‘colorful’ monikers we’re pinning on brand new precious lives.
Parents, we are stacking the odds against our children from birth. We’ve been doing it for generations, but we get mighty cross when white and mainstream America laughs and mocks us. With a name like Quieshianiquita (I know, I can’t pronounce it either), you’re dooming your children to employment at no better than a dollar store or the nearest fast-food joint.
You are automatically relegated in the minds of many to second-class citizenry, because when they hear the name, they instantly categorize you as ignorant, ghetto, incompetent, uneducated, and not worthy of much respect or basic human considerations.
We hear so often about African American students who excel in school, etc. and “beat the odds.” Well, guess what? Often times, the “odds they have to beat” is the tough challenge of being taken seriously in America with the atrocious name you gave them...names like Jaqui’sheia Sha’qu’an Tai’isha. If they can get someone to look past the name (and quit laughing), there is remarkable talent there in that person.
Unfortunately though, much of mainstream America isn’t willing to find this out. Come in with the wrong name, and you are nothing more than fodder for stereotypical, distasteful jokes. We as African Americans face enough challenges as it is. Our kids deserve a better start and a way better shot than this.
You’re angry with me? I can live with that. Now answer this: when have you ever seen an IBM Executive or a fancy New York office with a fancy highrise office door nameplate that says “Quandaniquah Roshel-Shaquita, Chief Executive Officer”? When? You don’t, and you never have, because the reality is, corporate America and a huge chuck of mainstream doesn’t have a high regard for those names. Quite frankly, you won’t be taken seriously.
I’ve been behind many a closed door with white corporate America. Oddly enough, many of them still see the Negro in the room as ‘non-existent’ or invisible, so they talked like I wasn’t even in the room. I hear everything they say. When Nakia Shaniquah-Quashiqua fills out an application, they have a field day in the office. Once they get their fill of ghetto and ‘weave’ jokes and ripping you to pieces sight unseen, they usually toss the application, or it gets stuck in the ‘bottom of the pile’. If they do hire you, you’re relegated to some meaningless, inconsequential task behind the scenes so they won’t be embarrased by you.
I’ve learned the harsh truth that right or wrong, no quality mainstream company wants someone named (oh just pick a name) representing them in the forefront. We don’t hear that, though. We just want you to get the name right, and look at you funny if you don’t. I recall a time a young woman got really cross with me because her name was LaShi’quita and I forgot to capitalize the ‘S’ and left the little accent mark off the first ‘i’ - how was I supposed to know? But lawd ha’mercy...what did I do THAT for? She was mad, hostile, and ready to FIGHT! It was a BIG ridiculously overblown embarassing ordeal (for her), and that’s OUR fault, parents.
She wouldn’t have such a huge chip on her shoulder and be so defensive, confrontational and mean if we had just given her a name that the average person can pronounce or spell. No spell check in the world can help, so most of her existence is spent correcting the spelling of her name, and feeling disrespected because people can’t get it right. We set her up for this constant and unnecessary battle.
I do not advocate naming all our children Bobby and Susie. But let’s do our babies a favor and keep the syllables down to a minimum, leave out the suffixes “quita”, “sheika”,“eisha”, “niqua”, “quan”...anysuffix with the letter ‘Q’. I could go on, but you get where I'm headed.And if you want your child to have an authentic African or other ethnic name, do a little research. Don’t just make up a name and expect the world to be able to spell and pronounce it. You're not being original or cute. That child has to LIVE with that horrible name, and that's not funny...or cute.
Amen. Now pass the cornbread.
My ex named the cat after Angus Young. He's the singer and a guitarist for the group. Sabbath? Had to be a yellow tabby ;-D
Guitarist, not the singer.
Nope - I saw the letter.
.
Sorry I was so judgemental about the Scout and Apple names. My bad, as they say. ;) I guess those names are at least real.
How about the case a few years ago where a couple named Daub wanted to name their child Zip A Dee Doo Daub? I think they had to go to court since local authorities wouldnt put the name on a birth certificate, or something like that. Very odd. It's OK to be lighthearted sometimes but it really seems kind of cruel to make a person go through life with the name Zip A Dee Doo!
I know. In Britain, so is Jocelyn. I had a college professor with that first name, and he was about 65 years old.
Ex-girlfriend of mine said she had a cute little black girl in her 1st grade class (she's a teacher) whose name was Fe'malé (remove accents...).
Just mind boggling.
Similarly, I know a woman who is named January Winter...
Then again, there's the crazy white folk who name their kid Apple.
When Oprah was named as a baby, her family mispelled her name. In the Bible there is the name Orpah and you can find it in Ruth Chapter 1. But, Oprah's family was illiterate, and they made a mistake in spelling.
Interestingly enough, there is another woman named Oprah... somewhere in the US. Oprah Winfrey has met with her. Sharing that unusual name is a novelty.
I was, as well. I know very little about teaching, but to single one person struck me as being in poor taste, if nothing else. The HR person didn't have a whole lot of sense, anyway....actually, none of the management that I worked with did.
Glad I'm not working there anymore.
I'm such an ass not remembering that one! LOL :)
I think I can beat all of you. My sister in-law has a little girl in her special ed class named Unique Beaver.
"OK, then let's ask hospitals to give "name sheets" to new mothers. Hospitals charge thousands of dollars to deliver a baby - they can spring for the cost of one piece of paper..."
Well that's a nice idea, but then we'd have Rev Jackson and Sharpton running around screaming racism.
On second thought, yeah let's go with your idea.
My personal favorite is from the end of Part 4:
My fiance and I named our first born Cam'ron, I thougt at the time it was pretty unique but the name was actually pretty common last May. Just different spellings.Oh dear God, they've discovered random punctuation to go with random lettering. Any minute now, they're going to bust out the umlauts and I've going to go into hiding.
You're doomed, doooomed I tell ya! You can never be on the board of a Fortune 500 company. Whatever will you do? < /sarcasm>
One thousand!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.