What’s in a name? For blacks, a job

MSNBC ^ | 28 Sep 03 | Justin Pope

[OriginalV]

BOSTON, Sept., 28 — When Vonnessa Goode gives birth in a few weeks, one of her first decisions could be among the toughest: whether to give her daughter a distinctively black name.

[OriginalV]

With all due respect to this woman. I seriously doubt her daughter will be any less black just because of her name.

This country will do itself a favor once everyone starts thinking of themselves as AMERICANS. And not group themselves into catergories.

[OzGM]

I dunno about this rest of the people in the world but I never stopped and thought... DAMN that is a really black name. What is the world coming to and who had the bloody time to sit and study such a mundane topic to this degree?

[Ex-Dem]

Hey, it worked out alright for our NSA, didn't it :)?

[KC_Conspirator]

ON THE ONE hand, Goode and the child’s father don’t want their daughter “robbed of her ethnicity,” she said. On the other, she believes a distinctively black name could end up being an economic impediment.

So this is the way MSNBC covers up for yet another illegitimate child from an unwed mother? This is her third out of wedlock kid. This kid already is earmarked for failure because of the terrible odds created by its mother, no matter what the hell her name is.

[steplock]

The name is no matter - what counts in business - can you speak English clearly and correctly?

[Dialup Llama]

I can gar-dam-intee you that if you name your kid Jihad he ain't getting any job. (Yes Jihad is a first name.) Also if you want to boost your job prospects, avoid the face tattoos.

[Batrachian]

Most of these supposedly black names are made up out of thin air anyway. They certainly aren't real African names. Can anyone recite a real African name, anyway? Kunta Kinte is about the only one I can think of off the top of my head.

[annyokie]

No kidding. I gave my boys easy to spell and pronounce first names (germantic last name, often mispronounced) just to make their lives easier. Being "Bob" and "Joe" is much less of a burden than being "Antyoine" or ""Sheneequaah" let alone Ashleigh, Ashley, Ash-Lee, Ashlee, etc.

No lie: I had a friend who had two daughters named Cassiddy and McKenzie (WTF?). Had a thrd named Zoey, and then triplets named Dakota, English and (I can't recall her name.)

Barf. Why consign yourkids to a lifetime of spelling their names?

[Go Gordon]

This country will do itself a favor once everyone starts thinking of themselves as AMERICANS. And not group themselves into catergories.

It is the Democrats policy to divide the country into groups. Its easier to cater to people on a group by group basis (in return for their votes, of course). Otherwise, they'd have to implement policy to *gulp* benefit all Americans.

Old vs poor, black vs white, Big business vs the little people, Big Oil and Big energy vs environmentalists, Rich versus non-rich, union vs non-union workers..... did I miss any?

[1stFreedom]

Well, I would agree with her. What you aren't considering is during the screening process, the name can be a problem. The child may not be aware of it since they'll never make it to the interview in the first place.

On the same note, if you are 55 years old and looking for a programming job, good luck. Best thing you can do is hide it if possible. (Maybe keep your resume down to one page, this will help hide just how long you have been doing your job.)

There are things on a resume that will work against you. This woman is wise to consider such things in advance.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>Also if you want to boost your job prospects, avoid the face tattoos.

That, and limit peircings to the earlobes.

[jrherreid]

Hey, I don't have a problem.

www.blackpeopleloveus.com

[WackyKat]

With all due respect to this woman. I seriously doubt her daughter will be any less black just because of her name

No, but due to affirmative action policies, the daughter's resume will be much more likely to go into the "interview" pile if she has a name such as "Tawana" or "Kaneesha."

On the other hand, a white guy with the name "Thurston Howell IV " will be lucky to get a job as a janitor.

[RaceBannon]

3rd child?

How does she call her kids?

By their last names?

[egalois]

"Why consign yourkids to a lifetime of spelling their names?"

I thought I was making it easy by naming my son Philip. However, he constantly has to tell people that he is a one-L Philip, not a two-L.

[Go Gordon]

Why consign yourkids to a lifetime of spelling their names?

A friend of the family's sister (white) married a serviceman (black muslim) and they named their kids after colors Turquoise and Indigo (sp?).

Maybe Ms. Goode should have named her daughter Isabell Mary. Then she could just go by her initials I. M. Goode. It would help her self esteem and, Sheila Jackson Lee would get her wish of having blacks named after hurricanes (or vice versa).

[webstersII]

"So this is the way MSNBC covers up for yet another illegitimate child from an unwed mother? This is her third out of wedlock kid. This kid already is
earmarked for failure because of the terrible odds created by its mother, no matter what the hell her name is."

I just skimmed the article, so I missed this part. Leave it to a bunch of losers like MSNBC to overlook the most important part of the economic picture. Of course, looking at the reality of the situation might mean that someone (the unwed mother, for example) might have to take some responsibility here. But this way, it looks like this person is just a victim of white America.

[jocon307]

I must quote myself from an earlier, but similar thread:

Lionel, the (former, where is he now?) Talk-radio personality, and lawyer, shared my concept. When you are naming your child you must consider the possibility that they will end up a Justice on the Supreme Court. Do NOT give them a name that will make them look foolish. Can you imagine if Justice O'Connor's parents had named her "Sandy"?

Here is a link to the thread (I'll try it anyway), it's very related to this one, and yet not a duplicate in any way:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/991223/posts

[annyokie]

Believe me, I am not mocking anyone's choice of names. Just think it through. I have friends who named their children Graeme Garrett, and Garrett Antony (plus a hard to pronounce last name that has a joke in it.)

[South40]

Bob Okie?

That's mean.