Few centuries ago, when European terrorists capture people in Africa to sell into slavery in Europe or America, they mark their skin with hot iron, either to claim ownership or distinguish them from others.
Later on the way, the process evolved to making ID cards for the slaves and their families with the name of the owners. From that moment, the slaves carry the European terrorists names.
When slavery was transferred to African soil with a nicer name ‘colonisation’, the European terrorists introduced the same rite of naming conquered and colonised Africans with European names.
Suddenly Africans now have very awkward, ugly and bad sounding names like Victor, Étienne, James, Jennifer, Humphrey, etc. It was very funny to hear an African president presented himself as ‘Jonathan Goodluck’
Some Africans continue to carry their slave marks or colonized status when they have such names.
The Catholic church went further to force all converts to colonial religion Christianity to take a slave master name, called Christian names.
The new hot iron on your skin is your slave or colonial name.
Tough Africans fought hard to end physical slavery and Colonisation, they still have to wish to end the mental slavery and colonisation.
I visited a cemetery this morning, even in the graves some Africans are still marked with their slavery names. Very sad.
They died slaves and their tomb names say ‘born slave, died slave’, which is very sad.
Do you want to die with your slave name? Do you want your tomb to carry names like Gerard, Josiah, Jérôme, Pascal, Samuel, James, Nicolas, Jennifer, Gloria, etc.???
You still have choice, not to die like a slave with a colonial name.
PS: when a white man meets an African with a colonial or slave name, he instantly recognizes a colonized person and know he owns his identity. He praises his ancestors for their good work of domestication on these people.
Like racist Trump put it ‘we tamed them’.
Do you still want to die with your colonial or slave name ?
I agree. No African should die with a Colonial name. However, if it helps ease a transaction (business or otherwise) I believe it is OK to use the adopted name. Consider it’s use a “means to an end”. When you do reach your final resting place, there is not need for the ‘borrowed” name….revet back to your birth African name.