Imani is Swahili for faith.:)

I knew I remembered that word being in a song we sung in highschool. (My HS music director loved singing in Swahili and other unique languages:) )

I see a lot of this. My kids go to a large high school that's 55% black, 40% white, and the rest Hispanic and Asian. So far, seven of my children have attended that school and although there have been many black students who got top honors, not one of those in the past 7 years has had an exotic name. They all had names like Whitney, Ashley, Morgan, and Taylor.

Most of the black students do have exotic names, though, and most live in the projects or nearby.

Dammit LMAO

My name is Swahili too! :D

Damn--LOL. I don't get this list, though. It kind of sucks.

enigma_AKA

I have mixed feelings about this list. I remember the same argument being made years ago that if your name sounds black on your resume it could cost you the job, etc. Like they can't deny you the job during the interview. :confused:

I think that if anything this list and the fact that someone needed to compile it highlights that racism still exists in this country. What I gather is that they (the powers that be) don't care if your name is made up or actually has meaning. To them there really isn't a difference between Imani and Tae Kwon Da. If it doesn't sound European then your azz is grass.

We all know that Oprah & Condelezza certainly aren't European sounding names. So that's why I don't lose any sleep over these people and their so called lists.

Yes, you are right in what you assert: the real issue is stereotyping and racism. This phenomenon has a long history in the US: at one time many Jews changed their names to a more "Wasp-sounding" name in public life to ward this off.

But there a another issue here,too:why the preponderance of these so-called black names in a certain socio-economic strata of black society, and what does mean? And what are the linkages between this phenomenon and certain social outcomes? These are legitimate questions.

Hot damn!! Learn something new everyday. I've never heard them pronounced the same. All the AA Xavier's I know pronounced their names X-Za-V-Er. All the Javier's I know are Hispanic and pronounce it Ha-V-Air. Go figure.

I guess I should have specified and said that in Spanish, they are pronounced the same. The X and the J have similar sounds. It's like when a Mexican says they are from Mexico, they say it Me-He-Co.

Thanks. That clears up where you are coming from. I guess I didn't think about that since we are talking about AA common names versus Hispanic.

I work at a predominantly black agency and the names these children come in with are REALLY SOMETHING! I saw one today with the name Zaporia! There was a little boy that came in with the name Lutha! Not Luther but, Lutha!:eek:

Yes one does wonder if a european sounding name would increase one's life chances for success in society. Research has shown that those with ethnically sounding names are adversely affected. I can recall when looking for work -receiving numerous phone calls because of my last name- just so some could figure out my ethnic identification by speaking to me over the phone:rolleyes: We are a society in which we make snap judgments about a person's name, appearance, and education unfortunately!:(

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A friend of mine teaches a child named Ecstacee. Not necessarily black, but really stupid.