Long Story Short
Because people get “African-sounding” names wrong
You may speak my name, but you can’t possibly pronounce it. Your mouth won’t form the sounds the right way. My name carries tools and blessings and spells. It carries grief, wishes, and dreams deferred. It carries risk, compromise, and well-placed bets.
Before I took my first breath, songs were written in my name. Seeds have been planted and harvests reaped in my name. Villages fed and truces bartered upon my name. You will never know my name.
I am named for those who preceded me and those who will follow. These letters tell the tale of what is to come. They warn of trouble ahead and express gratitude for the wisdom I’ve been loaned. These sounds whisper a hymn of protection and carol jingles of bountiful holidays.
That’s such a beautiful name. What does it mean? you ask.
It means that though my body stands before you, my soul will exist until the end of time.