“John or Jontae’: What’s in a Name?”

by Jasmine Harris


Keisha, Keia (ki-yah), Ronte, and Joneisha…Kiffney, Tru’, and Vonte…Whether taking attendance, reviewing resumes or cordial instructions…what are your thoughts when you read these names? Hear them aloud? Or find them in your class? 

When I began working in education, reviewing the roll at the beginning of the year was imperative. Several questions crossed my mind. How many kids did I have? What types of learners and personalities would be in each class? And how in the world would I pronounce these names? Really Tequila…with an apostrophe? Before I came to the “Who am I” realization I judged. I criticized and questioned the education levels, attitudes, and socio-economic status just by name. Many times whether aloud or in my head I would say, “That’s ratchet…she ain’t African nor foreign. Why would they name the baby that?” These questions were arrayed between snickers. Yet who was I?

How could I judge the imaginative and dare I say innovative creations? First of all, I was “the pot calling the kettle black” as my middle name yields an apostrophe. My daddy decided to name me after his favorite late 80s singer. Additionally, I’m a linguist, a minority linguist with a history researching dialectal syntax. I knew these names weren’t just opportunities for parents to celebrate the foolery and joys of ratchetry. There was and is a method to the madness.

Do African Americans yield a language in which to communicate an identity, attitude, or culture? Other than a diverse dialect of English, African American English (AAE), there lacks unique linguistic identifiers. These names, whether Dequan or Demario were created to reflect the culture. Black culture is rich with linguistic diversity. This dialect is rich with a history of synthesized experiences of the African Diaspora. We must remain cognizant of historical implications. Especially when several of the names derive from Germanic and Anglo-Saxon language families ie. Demarucs derives from Ireland and Keisha is of English origin.

What’s a good, proper name? Why are we mocking identifiers rather than questioning western norms and ideologies? Why is it necessary to assimilate in this day and time? Why must we groom our minority babies from day one to assimilate and down play his/her identity. The space must be made for us (people of color) to freely celebrate all aspects of one’s culture without infringing upon another’s rights in public spaces. 

Consider the effects of implicit bias regarding names and furthermore linguistic variables in education. What things do educators assume about a student and/or family based upon a name? Are the same opportunities and understanding initially provided to a student with a “ratchet name”? Are expectations the same? Are implicit actions taken where a student is given unnecessary support? Do you expect Tyneshia to achieve at a lower skill level?  According to a The Power of Teacher Expectations: How racial bias hinders student attainment by Seth Gershenson and Nicholas Papageorge, “More troublingly, we also find that white teachers, who comprise the vast majority of American educators, have far lower expectations for black students than they do for similarly situated white students. This evidence suggests that to raise student attainment, particularly among students of color, elevating teacher expectations, eliminating racial bias, and hiring a more diverse teaching force are worthy goals.”

Let’s grow together with a few suggestions to check your implicit bias and microaggressions at the door:

  1. We must know better…

    1. There is no excuse in the age of information for ignorance. Educators must educate themselves in historically discriminatory practices in education and also society. Consider your students’ prior experiences with bullying, mocking, police brutality, etc.?

  2. Thus Do better

    1. After you’ve educated yourself, apply that knowledge. Ask yourself the questions sprinkled throughout as a part of your reflection. Do you treat kids differently or assume attributes per name? Do you consider some names normal and others ghetto? Why? Create a standardized strategy to be used when initially evaluating all kids.

  3. Who are you?

    1. You better check yourself. We must come to a realization that our opinions may not matter and possibly aren’t credible. Who said you or I have the right to determine what is or isn’t an appropriate name. There is no name quality certification, sis. You ain’t the linguistic police.

  4. Say it and Say it right!

    1. Regardless of your personal viewpoints, education is a service to the community. You are a business professional. Furthermore, let’s treat our kids like humans for which we care. One thing I implement is learning the correct pronunciation of student names. I ask them to pronounce it correctly and then I try until they approve. They deserve the respect of being called by their given identifier, don’t you? How angry do some educators get when students call them by the wrong name or first name? How many times do we offend students by calling them out of their name? That’s what we are doing. We are wrong. I was wrong.

  5. Why stop with a name?

    1. Gain awareness through an implicit cultural bias screener. Take it and reflect upon your results. Whether you share them or not, create a plan that allows you to understand other’s experiences and backgrounds. In order to be understood (or teach others) you must first understand.