We've started a discussion about names and race. Specifically, how names may identify our racial and economic profile.
The Takeaway talked to Nikisia Drayton about her decision not to name her child a name that would strongly identify him as African American. She shared her struggle over naming her son with us last week. She has written about her decision for our partner The New York Times.
Many of you had strong responses to Ms. Drayton's arguments. Joe from Dallas wrote on our site:
"As a black man, I was quite offended by the discussion. She gives the impression that the name given [to] the child predicts the child's future. She forgot one key thing, it is called teaching your child right from wrong. This woman has every right to choose the name for her child, but based on whether it sounded black or not seems to be internalized racism. If you don't like the name, don't name your child that. I am sure that if she chose to look closer, she'd find quite a few mug shots for almost every common name."
We wanted to hear other opinions on this issue. Akiba Solomon is managing editor for Colorlines.com. She is proud of her distinct name. She joins The Takeaway to discuss the cultural aspects of names, and whether she thinks it can hold someone back.
If you're looking for a deeper discussion about whether your name really does effect your life chances, The Takeaway recommends our friends at Freakonomics. Here you'll find a great podcast dedicated solely to this subject.