What’s in MY Name: Cherishing the Names of your Black Students - Part III

Day 3: Histories in African American names

Teacher: Names, just like any word, have meanings. The study of the history and creation of the structures and meanings of words is etymology (Harris & Hodges, 1995). We’re going to become etymologists and study our own names. But first, let’s play a guessing game to tap our prior knowledge.

Teacher: You may also have been wondering about the word diaspora. Diaspora means is from two Greek words that mean “scatter across”. A diaspora is all the people living outside their homeland. The African diaspora is all people who left Africa themselves and live in another continent. It is also all people whose parents and other relatives left Africa, and so they were born outside the continent. African American people are one part of the African diaspora, but there are many. Everywhere there are Black people/people of African descent outside of the continent of Africa, that is the African diaspora. Now let’s get to our naming challenge. These five names you’re about to see are common in African American families today. So let’s see where they’re from exactly.

Activity: When you see the name on the screen [show by sharing your screen if a virtual classroom using the attached PowerPoint, or display on a computer or SmartBoard if you’re in person], choose what continent and the country it can be traced back to. One choice on the screen is right; the other is wrong! A sample slide of what is in the PowerPoint:

Teacher Answer Key

1. Natasha: Slavic name from Slavic language countries in West Asia, like Russia, and it means “birthday of the lord”

2. Moesha-female variation of a Hebrew name, Moses meaning “drawn out of the water”; Hebrew traces back Southwest Asia, which some call the Middle East

3. Tyrone-this name is from Ireland, the name of a kingdom of the Gaelic peoples

4. Kwame-Twi and Akan day name from West African nations like Ghana; it refers to boys born on Saturday
5. Assata Shakur- BOTH places on this slide are correct! This is a trick slide. Assata is West African and means “she who struggles” and Shakur her last name is Arabic from Arabic speaking regions like North Africa and the Middle East, and it means “the thankful one” Teacher: Let’s learn about three other common African American names and where they come from:

6. Shaquille or Shakeel: this name is Arabic and means “handsome”; Shaquille O’Neil’s spelling of his name is considered creative- but English spellings of Arabic names are all creative, in a sense.

7. Monique-this is a French name and means “advisor or one who guides others”

8. DeAndre: this is a mix of the French name Andre meaning “man or warrior”. It’s also the French version of the Greek name Andreas. The De in front of it is a French word using African naming traditions created by African peoples enslaved by French people in places like Louisiana.

This mixing of cultures, like West African and French- is called creole and the process of the interaction of mixing is called creolization.

Teacher: Of those 8 names- were you surprised that only two were mostly rooted in the African continent? But even though names like Tyrone trace their roots back to Ireland or Monique- to France-- these names have become popular in Black American families, and are now associated with and shaped by the diversity of Black people outside of Africa, called the African diaspora- and specifically, African Americans. And the names and the ways African Americans use them, deserve our respect, not jokes, mispronunciation, or stereotypes. Pause for discussion here.

Ask students: How do you think people feel when their names are mispronounced? How do you think people feel when their names are made fun of or joked about? [Do not call on students to share, especially if the classroom if multiracial. In other words, in a multiracial classroom, do not call on a Black student –or any student- and ask them these questions.

Ask the question in general, and the question itself will prompt people to respond literally to it. It may also prompt some to volunteer their personal stories if they want to. But again- don’t ask anyone, especially Black students who may regularly experience being singled out in insensitive or otherwise problematic ways during conversations such as these, to share personal stories. If no-one responds- share your own story if you have one and want to, or simply say something like: These are great questions to write down and think about as we work today]

Note - Historical Inquiry – Direct Instruction with interactive pieces [This part requires 1-3 hours of teacher pre-work if you decide NOT to use the YouTube video and instead create your own presentation of the historical information here. You could create a text set that includes the PBS and YouTube video, children’s books like those below created by the Urban Collective at the University of South Carolina, and primary source excerpts in print and video excerpts from sources like the documentary Africans in America: America’s Journey Through Slavery. Then you could have students do the research as well. That will take more preparation time, but it’s worth it!]

Teacher: Now we’re going to learn a little about different histories that show up in African American names [There are several ways to share the information in the Summarized historical information Role of Christianity [In the Resources Section] - since the guessing activity has served as a start, you can use the information below and resources like this Say it Loud PBS videos (see link in Resource Section) which is the main source for this part of the lesson- to create a presentation of your own that you show students through 10-minute direct instruction paired with some form of note-taking. There is a note-taking template included here. You could also show the Say It Loud-PBS video and have students take notes while they watch using a note-taking strategy they already know or the template provided here. Whatever way you choose to share, consider these steps:

Step 1: Have students write down all three these essential questions to answer as they listen to direct instruction from you or the PBS video linked here and here. [See Essential Questions in Assessments Section].

Step 3: Have students pause several times through the presentation/video to answer questions or discuss a portion together. If a flipped classroom or virtual- urge students to do this in the video you make.

Step 4: Have students work independently to answer their Essential Questions. Then, pair students or group them – and have them share their answers with each other. After this, ask them to revise their original responses so that it includes something from their group discussion.

Step 5: Have students submit their answers to their Essential Questions electronically or keep them in groups and have one representative from each group present the EQ answer for the group. Give constructive feedback, and/or have other groups give constructive feedback using phrases like “Including the detail about… is great, but did you also include the source of that information? Go back and add the source author and year” OR “I like how your answer included
ideas like…, but it needs some details about what we’ve studied. Consider adding the information about…”

If needed, send it to your grade level and school administrators to receive approval.

Another important strategy is to send a note home with parents letting them know you will be talking about racism, send a copy of the lesson home first, and see if any families have concerns.

Including your colleagues, school administration, and families of the students ensures collective learning and growth and avoids potential roadblocks.

If you are a family member, completing this at home, you are acting as a teacher and guide, so all the parts saying “teacher” apply to you as well!

Essential Questions:

1. Explain in your own words at least two reasons why Africans or African Americans had children with Christian names.

2. Explain African American names that are creole.
3. Explain the changes that the Black Power movement in the United States brought to African American names. Share examples of people who chose to replace their “slave name” with a name that they chose. Step 2: Read and study the information here to create a presentation yourself that students take notes OR play this PBS and Say It Loud YouTube video.