Back when I worked as an editor at the Times Magazine, we held weekly or twice-weekly editorial meetings at which you’d go around the table and suggest story ideas. There were many varieties of ideas, including: Dutiful but Dull; Dutiful and Worthwhile; Sexy but Substance-Free; Just Not Interesting; and everyone’s favorite: Interesting — if True.
Into this final category falls a report that a federal judge in Detroit has taken away from African-American mothers the right to name their babies:
[A] federal judge ruled today that black women no longer have independent naming rights for their children. Too many black children — and many adults — bear names that border on not even being words, he said. “I am simply tired of these ridiculous names black women are giving their children,” said U.S. Federal Judge Ryan Cabrera before rendering his decision. “Someone had to put a stop to it.”
Interesting — but true? Not even close, as the folks at Snopes.com explain. Which means, if nothing else, that our chapter in Freakonomics called “Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?” isn’t headed for obsolescence just yet.
(Hat tip: Fred Telegdy.)
and 
. You can also watch it on 
Any “weird” african-american name (other than shi-thead!) is probably going to be better than ‘john’ which of course stands for toilet! So there.
Has this blog or Tierneylab been keeping track of which name story comes up most, Shi-Thead, Assh-ole, or Female? If I had a nickel for every teacher and nurse who’s told me those stories, I could buy at least a dozen of the high calorie apple fritters at Starbucks.
Has no one heard of the term “satire”? The report in the link clearly states that it is a satirical piece. People obviously don’t read all the way thru or they would have seen the disclaimer at the bottom. FYI, check out ‘Visible Man’ by Colson Whitehead in yesterday’s NYTimes – talk about an excellent piece of satire!
My husband is black, and I am white. We gave our son an African name (Amari), which is often mispronounced. We gave careful consideration to naming our son– nothing “ghetto” or too soft. Like it or not, ones name gives a first-impression, and that means a lot as an adult. It is something that not only African Americans need to consider, but all persons need to consider. White people have some wacky names too!
I have a weird first name, completely made up and definitely not a real word. I love it.
One very sad thing is, though, that when I put my weird name on a resume, nary a call troubles my phone. When I use my normal-looking middle name on the same resume–lots of calls. I have no illusions that this difference doesn’t result from my first name looking “ethnic.” Discrimination is still all too rampant.
Playing Devil’s Advocate:
How are names particularly sensible in the first place? I’m Philip…what’s that supposed to mean? (“Lover of Horses” supposedly). Now I understand things like Turkeesha (which is hilarious btw) is going to be a problem from a business and racism perspective, but from a strictly logical perspective how is it any worse than 100′s of other words that could be chosen for names? It’s not a spelling or convenience issue, look at “normal” names like Erica/Ericka/Erickah/Ericah. What’s really “wrong” with Turkeesha? (aside from the fact that it makes me laugh every time I hear it).
Is it racist for a businessman to not hire Turkeesha’s? Let me play devil’s advocate myself….
Just as music can evoke certain feelings/moods (a lot a horror filsm wouldn’t be near as scary without the music), so, too, does a name, for better or worse, evoke a certain perception.
If I as a businessman get a call from “Tiffany Lauderdale,” you can bet that I’m seeing a girl in a red, convertible Lexus, bought by her CEO father, with blond hair flying, and a newly-minted college degree under her belt. Of course, the truth is that she will likely fall short of this perception, and that may be damaging to her.
But on the other hand, if I get a call from “Turkeesha Shayrondel Lauderdale,” another perception come to mind. I say this with, I trust, the appropriate amount of self-reproach, but that name evokes the notion of someone raised in the ghetto, who speaks ebonics, dresses “ghetto,” and so forth. Do I want to hire someone like that? Fortunately, if I give the person a chance to interview, I may be pleasantly surprised–I mean, they can’t control what they were named (as Obama had not choice in the matter either).
And to be fair, if I got a call from someone name Suzy May Lauderdale” or “Billy Bob Lauderdale,” certain thoughts are evoked–trailer parks, “Deliverance,” and the such like.
I KNOW it’s not right. But that is just how we are. And if someone is so ignorant as to name their child some far out name that inspires thoughts of the “ghetto” rather than appropriate interest, then you have to wonder what sort of genes were passed on to the kid (a Freakonomics thing).
I do hope that in all cases, though, we will never exclude someone JUST because of their name. After all, there might be some sparkingly Turkeeshas out there who would light up our businesses with efficiency, honesty, hard-work, and loyalty. I’d hate to never even give them a second glance.
Quote from a comment on the article:
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Stefani // March 14, 2008 at 10:48 am
THIS IS NOT TRUE!!! After reading this article I was appalled to see such ignorance coming from such an “esteem” person-a federal judge. So, I took the liberty to go to: http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf and THERE IS NO JUDGE BY THIS NAME- U.S. Federal Judge Ryan Cabrera. Please feel free to look it up and you will also find that this is the OFFICIAL federal-judge database and that it dates back to 1789 and it was just updated TODAY.
I also took the liberty to go to explore this website further, and at the bottom of the article, it is marked as “Humor” and in the “About” section of the Peoples News’ website, it is listed as a humorous editorial.
I think this article is ignorant, and it truly shows how low someone will stoop just to get a “laugh.”
Finally, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution would protect individuals from a “real” ruling such as this garbage.
To this end, please pass the word that this article is baseless and honestly it is a mockery of the Black race, which should not be taken lightly.
Respectfully,
Stefani R. Williams, Esq.
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