Reddit User Asks Why Blacks Give Kids 'Weird' Names But Isn't Racist Or Anything

Debates about classism have often arisen when mocking the many “Yoonique” names that have popped up for children. Laughing about some seemingly “janky” spelling for a kid’s name crosses into racist territory faster than you can adjust the spelling for Lindsay when you consider the cultural implications of calling someone’s name “weird.” Like when one Reddit user by the name of “fuckyourteam” asks WTF is up with black parents giving all their kids “weird” names?

TRUE story! “Fuckyourteam” puts this question to black parents directly, titling his post, “Black American parents of reddit, why do you name your kids weird names?”

First, I need to do this:

But before you think “Fuckyourteam” is racist or anything, he/she wants you know that not only is he/she a “minority,” BUT he/she is also in possession of BLACK FRIENDS. Therefore, he/she is instantly inoculated against harboring any sort of racist sentiments whatsoever because there are black people in his/her company:

Before racism is called out, I have plenty of black friends. They, and their siblings have “normal” names, I.e. Justin, Jason, Chris, etc.

Just curious why you name your kids names like D’brickishaw, Barkevious D’quell (all NFL players first names) and so on. I don’t know 2 people in this world named Barkevious. Is it a “unique” thing? My black friends don’t know the answer so I’m asking the source .

I’m a minority too and I know all races have weird, uncommon names like apple and candy for white people, Jesus for Spanish, and so on.

Don’t get your panties in a bunch I just want a straight answer. I googled it and anytime someone asked, they get their heads ripped off so the Internet doesn’t have a straight answer yet.

My panties are right where I left them, but I can’t glean if “fuckyourteam” is using the quotes around the term “normal” in earnestness or not. What’s problematic here is defining names like Justin, Jason, Chris, etc. as “normal” simply because they’re white Anglo-Saxon names. Because what’s really happening is that whiteness is being upheld as the “normal” standard, while names that happen to stray from whiteness — like your stereotypical Laquisha — are dubbed “weird.” Let’s be clear. The only thing “weird” about a name like Laquisha is that it’s not a white name.

And so, in conclusion:

(photo: hjshewmaker)