But not all names have positive connotations. The discussion of the name Washington Redskins has been going on for some time. And I wonder if the discussion surrounding the 'n' word will ever come to a resolution. Columbus Day was last Monday and its commemoration brought about questions as to whether Columbus should be celebrated at all. Some have even considered that the name should be changed to Indigenous People's Day.
But as we wrestle over the major controversies surrounding names we must also remember the effect of ethnic sounding names. A study conducted in Chicago and Boston (https://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html) discovered that applicants with white sounding names needed to send out ten (10) resumes to get one callback. Whereas, applicants with African-American sounding names needed to send out fifteen (15) resumes to get one callback.
What's in a name? Apparently a lot. A name is more than an identity, it is a word spoken over us each and every day of our lives. It says who we are and who we are not. It often tells a story about our past and our families. It calls us out for our uniqueness or blends us into the crowd. It is the thing that remains with us forever and may be etched in stone when we depart from this world. Throughout our lives we may be called by many different names. I remember at my 47th birthday party one guest noted that the people there were calling me by four different names. I was called 'Waltena' by my family, 'Tina', by friends from high school,college, and young adulthood, 'Downs' by former co-workers form when I taught in Dinwiddie County, and 'Pride' by my co-workers from Richmond. Throughout my life I have been called other names, too. Some were words of affection, and others were words of disdain and sometimes even pure hatred.
Names. All of us have them and they serve to identify us at different stages in our lives. And I have discovered that it's not so important what I am called. It is more important what I answer to. We should never answer to a name that we do not accept or does not honor who we are. And we should always call someone by the name they wished to be called. At this point in my life I have decided that I want to be called Waltena. I still answer to the other three names, but there are some names I will never answer to. What's in a name? What's in your name? Probably more than you think.