Does what you name your child affect their education

As homeschoolers, this is not a worry... for now, but still something that cannot be overlooked. What you name your child can and will affect the way 'professional' educators view them and will also affect the kind of effort put into their education. It will however have an effect in college applications and the job market.

As an African American, I have always been painfully aware that a name could get in in the front door, or lock you out. I saw many friends with Afrocentric names and funny nicknames unable to break through certain barriers. (Those who did, altered or changed their names.) My mother used to point out that she named me, and chose the names of many of her nieces and nephews carefully for that reason. Yes she was one of those relatives that would passionately campaign and bombard pregnant women with name choices. Still, I cannot complain about my name. It is one of those names that leaves everything to the imagination. It it a distinctly girly name, but ethnically, it is no clues as to my background. Like me, my children also have names that are ethnically neutral, and my daughter holds a name that does not reveal her sex either.

Why am I bringing this up? This subject was driven home by The president of the National Education Association who instead of saying teachers were sent to inner city schools, he said "They're going to send them to teach where Ray-Ray, Little Willie, Little Man, Too-sweet, and Chiquita are in the classroom." Link here My goodness! And you want me to trust my kids education to a person with this kind of thinking?

Never.

Now, this does not mean that I think ethnocentric names are bad. After all, we live in a different time than the one I grew up in, and each person has the right to name their own child what they will. But there is still an ignorant minority (in power) who will label your children based on those names. It's sad, but true.

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