"On Having a Black Name"

[browngirl]

From hitchhiker:

On having a black name by Daisy of Daisy's Dead Air.



An example of what people said to her when she used to work customer service and she gave her name:

"Are you black? Give me someone white. I want someone who can find their ass with both hands, no offense."

Comments

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thanks for sharing that link. Powerful stuff. I am not so sheltered as to believe that there is no overt racism in our society, but I continue to be astonished at how stupid it makes people.

I keep thinking that trowa_barton and I should name our children with some Jewish-sounding first name and his (somewhat uncommon) Latino last name. It'll be like the reverse of "Juan Epstein" from Welcome Back, Kotter. :-}

Humans. Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em.

[nellorat.livejournal.com]

I am not so sheltered as to believe that there is no overt racism in our society, but I continue to be astonished at how stupid it makes people.

Exactly my feelings, perfectly phased.

[gingicat]

Thirded.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

oyeah. Tony and I talk about having a Jewish son named "manny cabral".

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I remember clearly when people realized "awfief" was a FEMALE name on usenet. The newsgroup I was on suddenly stopped respecting me and started patronizing me.