Getting up In the morning seems as though to be the hardest part of the day isn’t it? We twist and turn, rolling from one end of the bed to the other in hopes that somewhere in between our sheets and delayed consciousness there too would be the eagerness for endless possibility that the day will bring. Yet with all those things being stated in totality, waking up is about as instinctive as yawning or blinking or any of the involuntary acts we commit in our everyday lives. 

Whether you question the things that seem ‘Normal” or not the process is still in motion with intention to further it’s agenda, hence GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! What about the clothes we wear or the hairstyle we choose to have? voluntary, short term commitment right? how about our habits (good or bad) or names? One thing all these things have in common is “ CHOICE”.  When going through your current day to day life just Ask yourself “ what is the purpose behind this? “ .

This kind of analyses leads me to an interesting conversation, Why do we have and pass down last names? And where does it lead us today? Now this isn’t a history lesson but more so a space to spark interest in the ideas passed down through generations that may or may not be hindering our physical and psychological advancement.  Think about where do you get your last name from? Simple, more traditionally your last name is passed down from your fathers last name which was his fathers last name and so on. Now why do we pass names down? (Giving you a moment to actually think about it) is it to keep something going? What is that “something”?  We know that last names were derived from “surnames” or “a hereditary name common to all members of a family, as distinct from a given name.” Surnames started off as an identification tactic based off attributes such as location by which one was born, physical features, trade etc. Surnames also indicate genetic & financial inheritance by which is still used today.

Last names are a BIG deal and we are starting to see why. For example: Tia Mowry-Hardrict( Tia & Tamera Mowry) built success from modern television as a house whole name. Once married she kept her name and added her husband name(also giving value to her husband name if not already accumulated any). If you notice, people who create “wealth” or value in their last name tend to keep that last name and even go so far as to pass it down to their offspring with hopes of that offspring not only accumulating the said “wealth” or value of that last name but continuing that wealth for future generations to come hence generational wealth. “ so Rcoy does this mean your last name may hold the key to generational wealth? “ the answer is absolutely. 

During dated slavery, Africans where stripped of their native last names and over time where “given” names based off of the master who purchased them, usually after being set “free”.  Some of the popular slave last names include but are not limited to : Smith, Davis, William, Franklin, Jefferson, Henry etc. We can now see why slave masters used their last names for slaves, think about it the most popular last names are more than likely the wealthiest owners based off of having more slaves. Whewww so does this mean the names of today still not only hold a horrific past, in the present day but may indeed still be adding to the demise of the black family? 

There”s an old saying that goes “ The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.“ with the history of black America suffering at the hands of hellhounds maybe it’s time to reconsider our position as divine beings starting with what we identify with as a whole.  So the next time you hear or read your last name, think on it or ask yourself questions about it. Maybe there”s unlocked potential in the inquisition of your last name.