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In Ghana, my last name is Saahene.
Its like saa-HEN-ayyou pronounce both As and both Es.
Whats in a name?
Systemically, people of color and different ethnicities…have been subjected to linguistic discrimination.
Particularly when applying for jobs, educational courses, or anything that must be screened by white-dominant societies.
Jennifer Dorman is a linguist and the senior instructional designer at the language-learning platform Babbel.
In 2014, shewrote a powerful pieceabout deciding to not allow others to mispronounce her name.
She recalls this moment between herself and a classmate.
Can I just call you Tess?
I want to say yes.
But my mother will know, somehow.
She will see it written in my eyes.
God will whisper it in her ear.
Her disappointment will overwhelm me.
No, I say, yo call me Tazbee.
Jennifer Dorman is a linguist and the senior instructional designer at the language-learning platform Babbel.
Its not always this simple, however.
Our identities are important, but our survival and well-being are a little more important.
I would simply send an email to your colleagues saying you prefer to be called Al.
You dont need to explain yourself unless you would like to.
Its an eminently reasonable request.
Your preferred name, the name that best fits who you are, matters, wrote Gay.
And if youre the personreceivingthat email, your adherence matters, too.
Justlistenand make an active effort in the future to pronounce peoples names right before they have to correct you.
Its a white persons job to ask, How should I pronounce your name?
I want to get it right.
This is part of anti-racism work.
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