Corporate Sister – Photo: on.aol.com

Quevenzhane, Sheniqua, Lala, Nickesha…We’ve all heard the controversy, jokes and at times much spirited discussions around “non-traditional” names in the workplace. And by “non-traditional”, I mean pretty much anything that is not along the lines of your usual “Janes”, “Joes”, “Daves”…etc.

Especially in corporate environments where diversity is still very much a moving target, some sisters’ names still may represent somewhat of a silent, yet very much present, liability. I’ve met incredibly talented and competent sisters who’ve had to stand up to somewhat of an insidious pattern of discrimination simply on the basis of their names. And that is when the names on their resumes do not stand in their way of getting the job at all…How many times have we heard tales of minority applicants’ resumes not making the cut because the names on their resumes are too “ethnic-sounding” (what does that even mean)? And how many among us, honestly, have had even if a passing thought of using our more traditional middle names on our resumes to increase our chances of being even considered?

From getting our names desperately butchered, to the usually annoying questions the likes of “Are you from Africa”(the country or the continent?), or better yet, “Your name is so exotic!”, many are the ways society in general can turn some of our names into somewhat of professional liabilities, when they should never be…Being from West Africa myself, I’ve felt many times like I was supposed to justify the name my parents lovingly gave me….Like I had to constantly explain why I was named a certain way, what that meant, where I’m from, basically my entire life story just to make my own name sound more acceptable! And for a long time, despite degrees, credentials, and obvious achievements, despite it all, I kept on justifying myself, over and over again…until I finally understood that some values cannot be negotiated! Actually, the values that are our foundation, however foreign they may appear to some, not only should NOT be negotiated, but may even have to be imposed, in a gentle yet unequivocal fashion.

Our names are not professional liabilities to be justified, deciphered or explained. And as much as they may represent for many a minority yet another pay gap, it is partly up to us to teach others, and ourselves in the process, to be accepting of our differences. And how do we do that, as minority corporate sisters, in corporate spaces and structures in which there already are way too few of us?

My answer is to always strive for excellence, to not compromise on injustice, and to hold the truth above everything else. And while I understand that it may be a long and hard road, I also understand that it starts with a single step…so I’m stepping… Are you?

Do you think your name is a professional liability?

The Corporate Sister.