Should the descendants of enslaved victims change their last names bec many were given the names of plantation owners who supported the confederacy?
If a statue of a confederate officer is an offensive visual reminder of the horrors of slavery, wouldn’t names associated to racist and abusive plantation owners bear far more of a burden bec the names are still attached to a slave’s descendants?
A name that is a daily reminder of the suffering their ancestors experienced thru offensive disrespectful behavior of a slave owner?
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If they want to, sure.
Anyone can change their name, for a fee.
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Another example of licensing a right?
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I consider it cultural appropriation anyhow.
This has been a thing ever since emancipation.
As you note, their ancestors weren’t allowed to use their names.
For anyone to suggest that a descendant of slaves shouldn’t use the name that their mother gave them is to repeat what was done to their ancestors.
“Here is a notion about names” is not improper. But “should” is a tricky word. To attach any penalty or opprobrium to those who choose to use the name their mother gave them is to replace your judgement for theirs as regards their name.
Not cool when done to ancestors, not cool when done today, even if today’s “I know your name better than you do” is gentler than what happened with the ancestors.
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Good post.
