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

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.

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Chapters

• 1:12 Welcome to Culture Curriculum Chat
• 1:36 Why Are You Still Butchering Names?
• 3:37 Microaggressions Through Name Mispronunciation
• 5:58 How To Do Better Together
• 7:33 Resources and Deeper Exploration
• 9:37 Final Reflections and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:36

Hey y'all, welcome back to the Culture Curriculum Chat podcast, where we talk all things culture, identity and creating truly inclusive learning and work environments. I'm your host, jeba Edmonds, educator, speaker and your personal guide to navigating these courageous conversations with compassion, clarity and, yes, a little humor. Today's episode is called why Are you Still Butchering my Name in 2025? Like, really, I know the title's a little spicy, but so is this topic. Let me set the scene for y'all. It's 2025.

Speaker 1: 1:16

We've got theory, ai and all of our phones, and yet somehow, somehow, people are still calling me Jabba, jabba, jabba or my favorite, jenna. No shade to all the lovely Jennas out there, but when I introduce myself with Jabba and you reply with a whole new name, 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 be having that vanilla latte frappuccino. That's a whole new identity. That is telling me I don't even want to practice or I'm too flustered to get it right. So can I name you something different?

Speaker 1: 2:11

Names are not optional. Your name is your melody, it's your lineage, it is how your ancestors speak through you, it is how your ancestors speak through you and I was named after an ancestor, my great aunt, the late Chief Jebe Adje, his favorite aunt. I took my first steps on her land and people were saying our name Jebe, jebe, jebe, and my mother said I took those first steps and I landed on my mother's lap and my mother knew till that day that this name and this child has something in them that will be great. They shorten it without asking or, worse, avoid it altogether. It sends a message that says I'm not willing to do the work to see you Now. You know what's wild. We've all learned to pronounce Tchaikovsky, heck. People even say Worcestershire sauce or even ordered charcuterie boards. But suddenly Jebe is too complicated. Let's call it what it is. It's a comfort issue and that's what we're unpacking today. It's giving microaggression. Let's just be real, y'all. Name butchering is a microaggression.

Speaker 1: 3:57

When someone repeatedly mispronounces your name, even after a correction, it becomes a pattern of disregard. There is an acquaintance who shall remain nameless. Every time I post something on my social media, you see my handle has my name spelled out every time correctly. She disregards it and misspells my name. She misspells my name on her Christmas cards, she misspells my name on birthday cards, but yet she does not take the time to see me Raise your hand if you are listening to this podcast right now, and go. Yep, I know that one friend or that boss or that neighbor that doesn't want to take the time to correct it. I've had folks say to me, even to my face oh I'm just so bad with names, jeb, but somehow they never forget their boss's dog's name. Right, and funny how that works and stuff just adds up and for many BIPOC professionals and students it chips away at your sense of belonging. I've seen students change their name 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 BIPOC people that have different names, or people would say ethnic names or foreign names, that change their name to an American name or American sounding name out of fear of not getting a promotion, not getting hired, and some of them change their name because they are overly exhausted on having to correct people to say their name or spell their name correctly because of the volume of disregard that people have for that individual. Let's do better together Now.

Speaker 1: 6:02

This episode isn't just a roast, it's a rallying cry. If you've even thought about or if you've ever fumbled someone's name. You're not alone. We are in this human experience together. We've all made mistakes, but the key is you need to own it, you need to learn it, you need to practice it and don't center your embarrassment. Center the person's dignity. Say their name, spell it right. You know I know you listen, ask, repeat and get it right. It costs you nothing and it gives you so much in return. Now I know you're like oh Jeff, this is deep today. I'm going to let us get deeper and here's how we're going to do it. If this episode has you thinking, wow, I have stories about this too. Then, friend, you are not alone.

Speaker 1: 7:05

First, I want you to head over to my blog. I've got a new post titled why Are you Still Butchering my Name in 2025? That dives into this subject matter deeper. You will get deeper cultural layers of this conversation. You'll laugh and maybe cry a little, and definitely, I know, you're going to feel seen. And secondly, I want you to subscribe to my newsletter, the Inclusive Educator. It is packed with weekly tips, reflection prompts and resources for anyone committed to creating inclusive, identity-affirming spaces, from the classroom to the boardrooms.

Speaker 1: 7:47

You know your girl, jebba, is on a mission. I dive deep into this conversation because your girl is always thinking of creative ways to teach the world of how to be respectful of everybody's name. And I created my own TED Talk. You can see it on my YouTube channel, mrs Edmonds Cultural Corner, and it is literally titled I made my own TED Talk what's a Jebit? And it talks about harnessing the power of your name. It's a lot of good nuggets on cultural responsiveness as well as cultural competency, and you'll really hear what happens when people continue to perpetually mispronounce your name and the data and the science that backs it up.

Speaker 1: 8:42

Now, before we wrap up, I want you to really visualize that individual in your life and their name, how it continues to make you flustered or embarrassed, how you stumble when you encounter that individual, and I would like you to do something for me. I want you to own that, but also learn it. Ask them how did you get your beautiful name? What's the story behind it? I want you to think about how the grownups in that person's life gave that child that name for a particular reason. I want you to think about, every time you butcher that individual's name, how a little bit of that ancestor or that other person's spirit that named that human being standing in front of you is being chipped away. I want you to remember names are not a nice to know. They're non-negotiable. Until next time, I want you to keep leading with love and I want you to learn and have the courage to get it right. Bye-bye.