What’s in a name? For blacks, a job

MSNBC ^ | 28 Sep 03 | Justin Pope

[Peace4EarthNow]

I shall now be known as: Raheem

I entered one of my friends names also. I think I got the better end of the deal - his new name is "Sheetswa"!

[Joe 6-pack]

"there'll be blacks getting rid of their slave names all over the country before i'm thru emailing tonite. : )"

LOL!...this white boy's unshackled himself of over 100 slave names since I found that sight!

[Graybeard58]

"you had to go back almost 40 years to come up with one".

Sammy davis Jr. and we are only talking about well known black men here. I have known other black men with Jr. after their names.

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Exactly - where's Chlamydia and Syphilis?

[CatoRenasci]

I agree with you that the practice of using surnames as Christian names or middle names should be confined to surnames of family significance, but while the practice is most common in the South, I have know New Englanders and old stock New Yorkers (of both English and Dutch stock) and even Californians from old WASP stock backgrounds who have followed the practice as well. Hence, I would not limit the practice to Southerners.

I am confused by your mention of "Koop" as a Christian name following Mason Kale:

As I understand it, Christian name = given name = first name

[Henrietta]

"My name is Lawrence. I have brothers named Patrick, Gary, John, Neal and Maurice. "

Those are nice names!

Let's not forget that the "name your kid a dumb name" phenom is not limited to the black community.

Demi Moore named her kids (girls!) Scout, Rumer, and Tallulah Belle. Truly stupid. I wouldn't hire them, either.

[shhrubbery!]

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.)

How can you be friends with someone that fatuously pretentious?

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Thank you. Remember the one where they're in the haunted house during a storm. Classic.

[South40]

Thanks Henrietta!

And let's not forget the all white Zappa Family, with Dweezle and Moon Unit.

[Joe 6-pack]

A friend of mine, an USAF officer on active duty sent me the following performance evaluation bullets...enjoy #8-)

- My #1 nizzle fo shizzle my dizzle! This cat don't get the stripe; you straight trippin

- Da shiznick; makes other NCOs look like little bitches--saved Uncle Sam mad cash; like $7M and shiz

- Peep dis; playa took the program off the chain--handled his bizness at the swapmeet on the real

- Pimp hand is strong! Straight-up macked and got dem bitches at HQ to listen

- Got mad skills; Tore it up at Madden on Play Station2 (PS2) in the breakroom when all them otha chumps was loading over 2,000 tons a shiz for the suckas over in Afghanistan

[annyokie]

Ha! I was Scout over at TAS for some time!

[Capriole]

I hate those stupid yuppie names also. Ex. Madison, Mckenzie, Rivers, and Delaney. I guess I am a little old fashion and less trendy.

Those aren't stupid yuppie names. Those are stupid names given to kids by middle-class or lower-middle-class people who are trying to sound upper class and don't have a clue how to go about it. (Hint: most of the girls enrolled at Foxcroft are called after their ancestresses, hence are named Margaret, Martha, Elizabeth, Judith, Charlotte, Ann, Louisa, and Grace. A few of them have as their Christian names their mother's maiden name, like Bromley, Carter, Ashby, Sidney, etc. Yes, as a first name for a girl. Such young ladies end up being called by diminutives. There are very few Britneys, Kaytlins, Kristyls, Mackenzies, Madisons, or Jordans enrolled there even though enrollment policies have been relaxed. Not even many Kristis or Caitlins.)

[Capriole]

I hate those stupid yuppie names also. Ex. Madison, Mckenzie, Rivers, and Delaney. I guess I am a little old fashion and less trendy.

Those aren't stupid yuppie names. Those are stupid names given to kids by middle-class or lower-middle-class people who are trying to sound upper class and don't have a clue how to go about it. (Hint: most of the girls enrolled at Foxcroft are called after their ancestresses, hence are named Margaret, Martha, Elizabeth, Judith, Charlotte, Ann, Louisa, and Grace. A few of them have as their Christian names their mother's maiden name, like Bromley, Carter, Ashby, Sidney, etc. Yes, as a first name for a girl. Such young ladies end up being called by diminutives. There are very few Britneys, Kaytlins, Kristyls, Mackenzies, Madisons, or Jordans enrolled there even though enrollment policies have been relaxed. Not even many Kristis or Caitlins.)

[annyokie]

I apologize for the all the insensative Whities, here. I think many here forget that this is a diverse forum.

[jra]

LOL

[solitas]

Aw he[ck] - just call her Vonnessa Jr. (sounds colored-enough to me): you've had your '15 minutes of fame', now just go away.

Could you imagine the 'outrage' if a Caucasian was in a similar article and was deciding on a 'White-sounding' name?

[longtermmemmory]

sounds like more of the false heritage fad of the 70's. It is tied to same thinking as the radical leftist professor who just made up kwanzaa and then decided it should be a paid holiday between Christmas and New Years.

I know of many Americans who claim ancestry from one place or another. They universally take pride in their "roots" but consider the USA their only home.

Some still like the idea the United States as the Great Melting Pot. We all get assimilated into the USA culture and beliefs but still keeping touch with the past. How can you know where you are going unless you know where you have been. Its odd but they also claim (as do many of my own family) the history of the USA as their own too.

Put it in perspective, ask the immigrants in question, if it is "old country vs the USA" which side would you serve. The right answer is for the USA. (no BS hollywood/leftist/democrat party "support troops" answer too.)

[BenLurkin]

Pretty cool!
signed . . . . Zuwarah

[South40]

No problem Anny. I grew up in 1960s South. I've dealt with that type all of my life. What bothers me more is that they unwittingly strengthen the argument of liberals who assert that conservatives are racists. Then I'm called an Uncle Tom or house negro for associating with them. They need not respect me but they should have some bit of respect for the conservative party.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

My neighbor's name is Hugh G. Regshen. He's had a rough go of it trying to find work too.