Hello My Name Is

“Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.”- Dale Carnegie. Our names are important. Our names are synonymous with our cultural and familial identity and purpose. Many individuals will fight tooth and nail to clear their names in a court of law. In most if not all societies there are formal religious or civic ceremonies where a child is christened and named. Anthropologists recognize the importance and value to the society in naming both human beings and inanimate objects. At the beginning of each academic year teachers are tasked with knowing the names of their pupils, as well as knowing the correct pronunciation of such names. There are those teachers who will make the effort to correctly pronounce the names of their pupils, and unfortunately, others will pronounce their names in the manner they think it ought to be. Of course, there are those students who will stop the teacher in his or her track and provide a lesson on the proper pronunciation of their names. Such students bring character in the shared classroom space. Nothing is wrong with ensuring that our names are correctly pronounced. Our names also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world. In the Bible, names often had a prophetic meaning, and in biblical times parents named their children with a meaning in mind. In today’s world, names are chosen for a variety of reasons. I find this Bible verse regarding names rather powerful. In Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.” In popular culture some celebrities name their children after the city of conception. Among them are :David and Victoria Beckham who named their first child Brooklyn Beckham. Paris Jackson, the daughter of the late king of pop and Debbie Rowe, was born in April 1998. Rowe previously said that the model got her name because she was conceived in Paris. Parents must be careful when naming their children. Years ago I had a student in first form by the surname Bowers; needless to say she was persistently teased because of the sexual connotation associated with her name. There is always that chuckle in the room upon hearing names such as Blackwood, Greenwood, Dick, Hardcok, Head, Nipple, Hump, and Bawles. Freudian Slip. A number of researchers shared their views on the matter of correctly pronouncing the names of students. The constant mispronunciations not only make school more stressful, it can also send a message that teachers are not willing to make the effort to respect their identity, culture, and heritage. We have all been guilty of this Freudian slip concerning the correct pronunciation of the names of students. One simple and easy way to avoid this pitfall is simply and politely asking students to say their names. Kelly Wylie, the director of the public affairs department for the Santa Clara County Office of Education, “when we empower our students’ voices and honor the language and cultural assets that they bring to schools, we will actualize our vision of creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment,” Rehman Abdulrehman, a research professor at the University of Manitoba and a child psychologist, sees how name mispronunciation causes mental distress in his young patients, especially those of colour. “This is an ongoing issue in many cultural communities and communities of colour,” said Abdulrehman. Dr. Abdulrehman added, "it is not what you see first. It is part of a larger rejection of cultural and ethnic identity, where many children become ashamed of many aspects of their identity, and prefer to act and be more white.” Rita Kohli, a professor in the school of education at University of California, Riverside, said that constant name mispronunciation is a form of discrimination and racism that is “embedded in the mundane interactions of our everyday world.” It is both disturbing and disrespectful when the teacher who is constantly mispronouncing the name of the student is of a different ethnic background. Schools can and are often sites of discrimination and frustration for many students; there is no need to add another layer to what for some students is a toxic environment. Representation of Self. Names are important because they represent the person who wears them. They are like a calling card or an introduction that tells the world who you are. Your name is also a representation of your soul. It contains the vibration of your energy and reveals something about your spiritual path in this life. It does not matter what your name is or how you spell it; it matters how you come across to others when they hear it. That is because names have meanings and connotations, and those things shape how others see us. In fact, names are inextricably bound to existence; nothing exists unless it has a name. Interestingly, even with humanoid robots, names are given. We all give our pets names too. Usually, we name our pets based on their behaviour. Years ago we had a pit-bull that was given the name Rocky. Among Rocky’s misadventures was removing items of clothing from the clothes line. He would also remove fixtures from the cars during the night; Rocky was mean looking. Family History and Heritage. In Proverbs 22:1, a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. A name can be an important link to our ancestors. In many cultures, names are passed down from generation to generation, carrying with them the tradition and history of our families. In some cases, a name may be the only memory we have of a particular ancestor. For this reason, it’s important to preserve our family names. In addition, names can help us trace our family history. Names can shape first impressions, influence how others see and treat you, and even affect your success in life. Names are more than a bunch of letters grouped together to sound pleasant to the ear. Lost Lineage. So much of our history as people of African Diaspora has been lost. The period of enslavement in the Americas which lasted over 300 years was designed among other things to dehumanize people of African descent of their ancestry and lineage. According to Julia Craven, prior to emancipation, those fleeing an enslaver would change their name to remain anonymous. After emancipation, many Black folks chose the surname Freeman or Freedman. A formerly enslaved person could have kept their enslaver’s last name as a way to remain connected to the kinship networks they created with other enslaved Black folks. Others may have retained the last name of their enslaver simply because they had more important things to worry about such as securing income, locating loved ones who were sold and finding housing according to Robyn Smith, a genealogist and creator of Reclaiming Kin. Engerman (1978) argues that names play an important role in our understanding of African American social development, and yet they remain under-analyzed, a missing piece of the historical scholarship. The historical literature focused on whether naming conventions defy the conventional wisdom that the institution of slavery destroyed African American kinship patterns. Finally, by researching the meaning of our names, we may learn more about our ancestors and their origins. Sharing our names with others can help connect us to our extended family and create a sense of community. We must never forget the pain our ancestors experienced in having their names taken away. As part of reclaiming our historical identity the journey of naming is critical. As the new academic year approaches; let us be mindful as educators of the importance and value in correctly pronouncing the names of our students. Our schools should be places of teaching and learning and not sites of discrimination and mental anguish. In the words of Bentley Little, names have power. In some cultures, just speaking a man’s name gives you mastery over him. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #names