NAME CALLING

What’s really good people?

It’s the end of February and tis the Ides of March already. Therefore, NBA All-Star weekend is here and every Jersey Chasing professional gold digger will be out auditioning for a spot on next season’s Basketball Wives. And why is that only during NBA All-Star weekend do you see every player accessorize his attire with reading glasses as if they are candidates for the Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. Oh BTW; I got Chase Budinger (Houston Rockets) winning the slam dunk contest.

Ok people; let me get focused…

So I caught a portion of the documentary Freakonomics on television the other day and I have to say I was very impressed. I liked how the principles of economics and data were used to tell the ugly truth about how the world works sometimes. Freakonomics is actually a book that digs at the following premise; “the conventional wisdom is often wrong” and “incentives are the cornerstones of modern life”.  Please go check it out because it is definitely some good programming and a nice break from all the trash that is on T.V.

The part of the piece that I really enjoyed was the name study segment. In it, researchers analyze things like how one’s given name is linked socioeconomic status, social acceptance and popularity. The documentary discusses how some parents put very little effort or thought into the naming of their child with the use of acronyms found at the hospital, misspelled versions of half-remembered names of sitcom actresses, etc… And we wonder why some kids just never had a chance from the start.

The naming of a new born represents pride, celebration and hope for bigger and greater things to come. One thing I know about Nigerian and the African custom is that your birth name is the beginning of your introduction to the world and the standard that many of us are often measured by. For example, my name has like 15 syllables, vowels, consonants and everything in between. And that is just the names I have on my father’s side of the family not counting my mother’s. But you all can just continue to call me “P”. Looooooooool.

Now why is it in the African American community and amongst my peoples do I continuously hear the most INCONGRUOUS (yeah I got degrees people) and senseless names giving to kids time and time again. I mean you did not just decide to name your new born CiRoc, Rozay, or Cristal because you only drink expensive champagne. Or better yet, since I will never be able to actually purchase one, why don’t I just go ahead and name my babies Lexus, Porsche and Mercedes. And I just love how we become so creative and start taking initials, signs and anything else that comes to mind and throw it altogether and call someone NO DISRESPECT but LaShanequia? Charmonique? Quantavious? Com’on Son!

The best point made in the documentary is how our names do not necessarily define or measure how successful or impactful we become. But when it comes to filling out a job application, applying for college or other elite institutions of higher learning there is no getting around the first question typically asked….

First & last Name