Season 7 Episode #12 Why Are you Still Butchering My Name in 2025?

Send us a text

What's in a name? Everything. Your name is your melody, your lineage, and how your ancestors speak through you. So when someone consistently mispronounces it or, worse, substitutes it with something entirely different, that's not just an honest mistake—it's a choice that speaks volumes.

Welcome to this raw, honest conversation about one of the most persistent microaggressions many of us face: name butchering. As your host Jeba Edmonds (not Jabba, not Jebba, and definitely not Jenna) explains, it's 2025, we have advanced AI in our pockets, yet somehow proper name pronunciation remains an "impossible" task for many. The selective difficulty is telling—we can master "Tchaikovsky" and "charcuterie" without hesitation, but diverse names are deemed "too complicated"?

This episode unpacks the deeper implications of name mispronunciation, from the subtle erosion of belonging to the exhausting reality many BIPOC individuals face when they feel forced to change their names for professional advancement or simply to avoid constant corrections. We explore how what might seem like small slip-ups to some represent significant acts of disregard to others, especially when those "mistakes" persist after multiple corrections.

But this isn't just a critique—it's a heartfelt invitation to do better. Learn practical approaches to honoring people's names correctly, understand why it matters so deeply, and discover how making this simple effort transforms relationships and builds genuine inclusion. Whether you're an educator, manager, or someone who values authentic connections, this episode offers the perspective and tools to ensure everyone's name—and by extension, their identity—receives the respect it deserves.

Ready to deepen your understanding? Check out my blog and subscribe to "The Inclusive Educator" newsletter for weekly insights on creating truly inclusive spaces from classrooms to boardrooms. Your journey toward more meaningful, respectful connections begins with something as fundamental as saying someone's name correctly.

COME SAY Hey!!

Instagram: @cultrallyjebeh_

Facebook: @JebehCulturalConsulting

Pinterest: @Jebeh Cultural Consulting

LinkedIn: @Jebeh Cultural Consulting

Leave a Review on our Podcast! We value your feedback!

Follow our Blog

Enroll In Our Mini Courses
Buy My eBook: Empowering Your BIPOC Students

Enroll In My Digital Course: How To Be A Culturally Competent Leader

Buy My K-12 Lesson Plans

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Enjoy the Cultural Curriculum Chat podcast? Share the love! Refer a friend to Buzzsprout and both you and your friend will enjoy exclusive benefits. Click the link...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey y'all, welcome back to the Culture Curriculum
Chat podcast, where we talk allthings culture, identity and
creating truly inclusivelearning and work environments.
I'm your host, jeba Edmonds,educator, speaker and your
personal guide to navigatingthese courageous conversations
with compassion, clarity and,yes, a little humor.

(00:23):
Today's episode is called whyAre you Still Butchering my Name
in 2025?
Like, really, I know thetitle's a little spicy, but so
is this topic.
Let me set the scene for y'all.
It's 2025.
We've got theory, ai and all ofour phones, and yet somehow,

(00:44):
somehow, people are stillcalling me Jabba, jabba, jabba
or my favorite, jenna.
No shade to all the lovelyJennas out there, but when I
introduce myself with Jabba andyou reply with a whole new name,

(01:07):
that's not a slip up.
I tell you, if I had a dollar,every time I went to a big box
coffee shop, jenna would behaving that vanilla latte
frappuccino.
That's a whole new identity.
That is telling me I don't evenwant to practice or I'm too

(01:29):
flustered to get it right.
So can I name you somethingdifferent?
Names are not optional.
Your name is your melody, it'syour lineage, it is how your
ancestors speak through you, itis how your ancestors speak
through you and I was namedafter an ancestor, my great aunt

(01:51):
, the late Chief Jebe Adje, hisfavorite aunt.
I took my first steps on herland and people were saying our

(02:14):
name Jebe, jebe, jebe, and mymother said I took those first
steps and I landed on mymother's lap and my mother knew
till that day that this name andthis child has something in
them that will be great.
They shorten it without askingor, worse, avoid it altogether.
It sends a message that saysI'm not willing to do the work

(02:56):
to see you Now.
You know what's wild.
We've all learned to pronounceTchaikovsky, heck.
People even say Worcestershiresauce or even ordered
charcuterie boards.
But suddenly Jebe is toocomplicated.
Let's call it what it is.
It's a comfort issue and that'swhat we're unpacking today.
It's giving microaggression.
Let's just be real, y'all.

(03:17):
Name butchering is amicroaggression.
When someone repeatedlymispronounces your name, even
after a correction, it becomes apattern of disregard.
There is an acquaintance whoshall remain nameless.
Every time I post something onmy social media, you see my
handle has my name spelled outevery time correctly.

(03:41):
She disregards it and misspellsmy name.
She misspells my name on herChristmas cards, she misspells
my name on birthday cards, butyet she does not take the time
to see me Raise your hand if youare listening to this podcast
right now, and go.
Yep, I know that one friend orthat boss or that neighbor that

(04:05):
doesn't want to take the time tocorrect it.
I've had folks say to me, evento my face oh I'm just so bad
with names, jeb, but somehowthey never forget their boss's
dog's name.
Right, and funny how that worksand stuff just adds up and for

(04:27):
many BIPOC professionals andstudents it chips away at your
sense of belonging.
I've seen students change theirname on the first day of school
just to make things easier.
Easier for whom?
Easier for a woman?
I have met and I've known BIPOCpeople that have different

(04:49):
names, or people would sayethnic names or foreign names,
that change their name to anAmerican name or American
sounding name out of fear of notgetting a promotion, not
getting hired, and some of themchange their name because they
are overly exhausted on havingto correct people to say their

(05:14):
name or spell their namecorrectly because of the volume
of disregard that people havefor that individual.
Let's do better together Now.
This episode isn't just a roast,it's a rallying cry.
If you've even thought about orif you've ever fumbled

(05:35):
someone's name.
You're not alone.
We are in this human experiencetogether.
We've all made mistakes, butthe key is you need to own it,
you need to learn it, you needto practice it and don't center
your embarrassment.
Center the person's dignity.
Say their name, spell it right.

(05:58):
You know I know you listen, ask, repeat and get it right.
It costs you nothing and itgives you so much in return.
Now I know you're like oh Jeff,this is deep today.
I'm going to let us get deeperand here's how we're going to do

(06:20):
it.
If this episode has youthinking, wow, I have stories
about this too.
Then, friend, you are not alone.
First, I want you to head overto my blog.
I've got a new post titled whyAre you Still Butchering my Name
in 2025?
That dives into this subjectmatter deeper.

(06:40):
You will get deeper culturallayers of this conversation.
You'll laugh and maybe cry alittle, and definitely, I know,
you're going to feel seen.
And secondly, I want you tosubscribe to my newsletter, the
Inclusive Educator.
It is packed with weekly tips,reflection prompts and resources

(07:02):
for anyone committed tocreating inclusive,
identity-affirming spaces, fromthe classroom to the boardrooms.
You know your girl, jebba, is ona mission.
I dive deep into thisconversation because your girl
is always thinking of creativeways to teach the world of how

(07:26):
to be respectful of everybody'sname.
And I created my own TED Talk.
You can see it on my YouTubechannel, mrs Edmonds Cultural
Corner, and it is literallytitled I made my own TED Talk
what's a Jebit?
And it talks about harnessingthe power of your name.

(07:46):
It's a lot of good nuggets oncultural responsiveness as well
as cultural competency, andyou'll really hear what happens
when people continue toperpetually mispronounce your
name and the data and thescience that backs it up.
Now, before we wrap up, I wantyou to really visualize that

(08:11):
individual in your life andtheir name, how it continues to
make you flustered orembarrassed, how you stumble
when you encounter thatindividual, and I would like you
to do something for me.
I want you to own that, butalso learn it.
Ask them how did you get yourbeautiful name?

(08:32):
What's the story behind it?
I want you to think about howthe grownups in that person's
life gave that child that namefor a particular reason.
I want you to think about,every time you butcher that
individual's name, how a littlebit of that ancestor or that

(08:52):
other person's spirit that namedthat human being standing in
front of you is being chippedaway.
I want you to remember namesare not a nice to know.
They're non-negotiable.
Until next time, I want you tokeep leading with love and I
want you to learn and have thecourage to get it right.

(09:14):
Bye-bye.