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Pride vs. Prejudice

Baby Names and the African-American Experience

By Mark Stackpole

The names, while respectful of tradition and family, have not been without their downsides. "There have been difficulties with teachers making judgments about educational background, or that we're from the ghetto," says Littleton. "When I started applying for jobs, a cousin told me to leave the 'Day' off of my name on professional documents. When I am writing checks, a clerk will often look at me impatiently or comment on my long name. Would they say the same thing to Elizabeth, which is only one letter shorter?"

When the time comes for her to have her own children, she does not think that she will follow her family's tradition of blending her ancestor's names into new ones. "The way society is going, these names may work for the family but not in the general population, which may not be ready for it," Littleton says. "Ethnic names are more accepted if they are directly connected with a home country. Since African-Americans have been here for a while, it's more like, 'What are you doing?' A Jamante will not be treated the same way as Jason."

While she is realistic about how these names may be received, and may not be in favor of names that are too unusual, Littleton is very attached to her own name and wants to instill her children with a similar sense of being special. "Names are very important in what they signify," she says. "Your name is unique and you don't want a name like someone else has. When you leave your mark on the world, what will they call you?"

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