The Rejection of Slavemaster Surnames

[Moorbey]

Akyeame Kwame thank you so much for the correct pronunciation.

[Simba Nerevu]

Originally Posted by bigdaddiej

Simba Nerevu thank you so much brotherman so for the links and my new lost Akan name. I just hope to do honour to the name Kweku.

Asante ndugu (Brother) for allowing me to assist you.

SN

[Akyeame Kwame]

Originally Posted by bigdaddiej

Akyeame Kwame thank you so much for the correct pronunciation.

anything for the BlackNificent!!!

AK

[RASNUBIAN]

I Changed My Name To An Afrikan Hebraic One "rahameem" (mercy,merciful, One Who Has Recieved Mercy). I Use The Sir Name Israel Seing I Was Influenced By The Afrikan Hebrew Culture. Now My Last Three Children Have Hebraic Names.

[Epitome]

the name given to me is Andon White. well the first name is cool and i have looked it up but all i see is lighting devices. and White...well that name does not fit me. i mean damn i'm light-skinned but i still have skin kissed by melanin. hair texture...not limp and blonde so White as a last name is my anti-thesis.

looked at the link for Akan names and mine is Kofi...but i want to know how it should be pronounced...

[Simba Nerevu]

Originally Posted by Epitome

looked at the link for Akan names and mine is Kofi...but i want to know how it should be pronounced...

Kofi is pronounced ko-fi. "Ko" rhymes with low/"fi" rhymes with key.

SN

[Nesayem]

Well I got my name from a war camp that the French used when they invaded Germany. The city that my name came from is mostly known as a rallying point/army base for French troops.

My last name ( I have two that people use) one is a German word that means "host" and the other is an English word that means "of the meadows".

Years ago when I was in highschool I used to build with a 5% Queen.Which is how the name Nesayem (arabic for Flower) can into my life. Since that time I have called myself of variations of that name.

Its really irony because my I traded one evil for another. My natural name comes from a whiteman's war and the other comes for arabs that are rooted in the oppressive nature. So before its over I will be investing in another name.I have had this conversation with my mother and she feels that i shouldnt change my name because thats what she named me and then people wont know I have any "history". Any suggestions?

[John P.]

yeah..i was thinking about an African name. I think i'll get that name when i feel i finally reached that true point of liberation from past habits and thoughts. right now i'm still building myself and trying to pefect mu many imperfections. so when i come to a point when i can actually say "i've finnaly became a new man" i will keep this name to remind that i'm still work in progress...1..

[Learn06]

They're names that I would like to have, that are based on and from the civilizations of Nile river and Mesopotamia.

[JrFem]

Do people consider last names like brown, black, freedman, or other various names post slavery/color names to be "slave names?"

Also,
This raises a question of what do you want to show in your family, your offspring. I think the choosing of a last name should require some support of your spouse, and maybe your mother + father. They should understand you are rejecting European ideologies and not their family line. Your spouse and you or just you) should find elements of what should continue in your family, what path your family will be taking or what elements your family will always have. I'm not a spiritual guide like some people on the board, but names are important. If someone calls you mr. white all day long, the meaning of the word would definitely affect you as much as someone calling you by your first name all day long. So the name that is passed down to your boys...if you want to live by that tradition... is the name that represents your family...I implore you to choose well.

[Shombay]

Black Love Family,
Every Afrikan must relieve themselves of the european (non-Afrikan) names we have been given. It is a Key Part of our Full and Total Liberation. No 2 ways about it, these names were given to us during our MAAFA (physical, mental, spiritual, and nutritional slavery). When we continue to use these names we limit our history to beginning in slavery, because thats when the usagage of these terrible names began. But our history truly began at the inception of the universe. Think about Roots when the white man beat Kunta into calling himself toby. Kunta resisted to near death not to be called toby. That shows you that our ancestors never wanted to willingly take these names, now many of us willingly give our children the names that our ancestors once fought against. I've even had negroes tell me I was crazy for giving my children Afrikan names. Malcolm so clearly stated that "When you walk around here, saying my name is murphy or brown or smith, all you do is tell the world who owned your Grandfather." "When you say your name is smith, that just means that some ole' cracker named smith owned your Grandfather. Nuff Said... Break The Chains....BLACK LOVE

[Shombay]

I wanted to answer this Poll but I couldn't because my answer wasn't up there. I too was born with a Slave name and I changed it but I didn't "legally" change it. No disrespect to any Brothers and Sisters who have done that but that actually doesn't make sense to me. I'll explain. This fuckin' devil didn't "legally" bring us here, he stole us, stripped us of everything, and exploited us, all "illegally."He took my name from me by force and gave me his name, now when I want My name back I'm going to go to HIM and fill out His paperwork and pay HIM to get MY name back. That just doesn't sound logical to my mind. If I stole your car and you know I stole your car, then I told you if you want it back you had to buy it from me. Would you do it, Hell No, you would just take it back, because its YOURS. So the way I see it is, what do I look like paying this white man or asking this white man for MY name back. Or applying for approval to this white man for My name. No sir BLACK LOVE

[Kimani]

one thing i love about Africans is our diversity; thats to say nothing about our needing to unite with each other and draw from our traditions across any and all diversity; said that to say this though...Africans in America have a unique expression of our Africanness that should be respected and nurtured;in music, in dress, in language, etc...and yes, in names; the way in which Africans in America piece together names from various sources are acts of creation that i find myself being somewhat proud of; they dont even know it; it a sort of subconscious resistance, expression of their rejection of dull european names, and a step in the right direction i think; what they must learn is that names are/can be/should be symbolic and they should be liberating and drawn from African sources; beyond this criteria, i cant think of any other that i would have; we should allow for some creativity as Africans in America attempt to project our own unique African identity.

[rebelAfrika]

Originally Posted by Shombay

I wanted to answer this Poll but I couldn't because my answer wasn't up there. I too was born with a Slave name and I changed it but I didn't "legally" change it. No disrespect to any Brothers and Sisters who have done that but that actually doesn't make sense to me. I'll explain. This fuckin' devil didn't "legally" bring us here, he stole us, stripped us of everything, and exploited us, all "illegally."He took my name from me by force and gave me his name, now when I want My name back I'm going to go to HIM and fill out His paperwork and pay HIM to get MY name back. That just doesn't sound logical to my mind. If I stole your car and you know I stole your car, then I told you if you want it back you had to buy it from me. Would you do it, Hell No, you would just take it back, because its YOURS. So the way I see it is, what do I look like paying this white man or asking this white man for MY name back. Or applying for approval to this white man for My name. No sir BLACK LOVE

Although I filled out the poll, this is actually another aspect of why I don't get my name changed on paper. I'm glad you brought this up, because I feel the same way.

[nourishdesoul]

I just had a son and I gave him the surname--Madina, which means "worthy of praise" and indeed my prince his. My surname is Peterson. I am defenetly no son of Peter and neither is my son. HIs father's surname is included as well. HIs father is disconnected from his ancestry due to the shame of being white. When whites feel a loss of their indigenous ancestry they co-opt the cultures they opress (ever been to a world music or reggae festival?) and when we feel the loss of our people we call on our molecular memory, we yearn for our MOTHER. Look at all of our beautiful contributions to the world of music, dance, sports we have made. You can almost trace all of these art forms to indigenous African expressions, rituals,etc. It makes me sad because I rather have my son know his Euro ancestry (there are redeeming qualties, one just has to dig way back before the onslaught of Christianity and PAtriarchy) than to grow up as so many Whites do. They are invisible to themselves--they can't even see their own shadows.