What's In A Name

I had a conversation today about whether having a black sounding name is a factor in whether you get a call for a job interview or not. I tend to believe it does play a factor for some people. As much as we want to believe in this post-racial modern world, it doesn't exist.There are still people that judge you based on your skin color. So yes it's possible that someone in human resources or whoever looks at resumes may have seen Laquisha Jackson and automatically tossed it in the trash. I can't say how common this practice is but I can say that I believe it occurs.

For as long as I can remember minorities, particularly blacks have always been judged as a group. If one of us does something wrong, we all are stereotyped. The public image of blacks makes intelligent blacks seem like a huge exception to the rule instead of the rule itself. There are many reasons behind this, some may even say some are correct in their perpetuation of the black image; but I was taught to judge every man based on his own qualities and character not on those of his brother or his cousin Ray-Ray. So the images that are portrayed of blacks in the media as thugs and buffoons is projected upon us as a race which then makes it harder for those of us who don't fit in that category. We have to jump through hoops to disprove stereotypes. It's not fair, but whoever said life is fair. Why doesn't the name Helikopter (real name) elicit the same resume trashing as say a Nykesha? Will there ever be a time when blacks are judged individually and not as a group? Despite what some may think, we can't all sing, dance, play sports, and not every LaQuisha is welfare baby-mama. Please open your eyes and see that a name doesn't define a person just like the color of my skin doesn't determine my intelligence or character.