Finding acceptance for my culture

place as I was ultimately tired of repeating myself.

In speaking to journalism major Oluwatomisin Alausa and Tech alum Toluwani Osibamowo, who were both given native names at birth, I found that ignorant occurrences happen frequently among native names and is a common belittling act toward African cultures.

“In kindergarten, my mom tried to teach my elementary school teacher my name and she could not pronounce it,” Alausa said. “My mom broke it down for her and told her it’s “Toh-meesee,” but my teacher coined the name Tomisin so I’ve been going by the name Tomisin at school for as long as I can remember.

“She just didn’t take the time to learn it and as a teacher that’s so important, because you are marking that kid’s identity for the rest of their lives,” Alausa said.

nunciation of my name, and the [announcer] still messed it up,” Alausa said.

It is common for a person who carries cultural differences get scared, and so I just wouldn’t even bother a lot of the time.”

Moments such as these have a great impact on one’s life experience and have the power to influence how you define yourself. Osibamowo and Alausa chose to define themselves through the beauty of their names.

Osibamowo shared her first name, Toluwani, which means “She belongs to God.”

Alausa also shared her first name, Oluwatomisin, which means “God is enough for me.”

“It’s a constant reminder that God is enough for me and will always be enough for me,” Alausa said.

“It was just so embarrassing to have to teach people how to say my name,” Osibamowo said. “It really wasn’t hard if you just looked at the letters and sounded it out, but people just see a bunch of letters in an order

As I got older, I began to explore and embrace my cultural differences carrying myself in a more confident manner. I talked about and expressed my Nigerian culture more in high school. I no longer hid the fact that I like Afrobeat music, I spoke Igbo and Pidgin frequently and marched through my school calling myself “the Nigerian princess”

In attending Tech, the love for my culture has grown stron-

I visited the Black Cultural Center for the first time last week and met Uriel Onye, assistant librarian in multicultural services and fellow Nigerian, who inspired me to write this. When I realized he was Nigerian, I told him my father is also Nigerian. Evoking a sense of pride, Onye said, “No, you are Nigerian.” He encouraged me to ask my father what my native name was since I did not receive one at birth and only went by my American

Later that day, my father wrote, “By right for been my first daughter you are the princess of the family. In our tradition we call you Adaobi, or Ada.”

From that moment, everything clicked. My life came full circle.

I spent first through 10th grade begging to change my last name. Now it’s my favorite attribute about myself.

I didn’t allow my experiences to prevent me from loving my African culture or finding out who I am.

Neither should you.

“Your name is the only thing you have and the one thing that is unique to you,” Osibamowo said.

“And for people to not know it or continually not say it right or not try to say it right is very dehumanizing, especially as a person of color.”

I am Kierra Adaobi Shanice Eyiuche. Who are you?

@KierraEyiucheDT

TECH BLACK HISTORY FACTS: LUCILLE S. GRAVES WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT ENROLLED IN 1961.

HORTENSE WILLIAMS DIXON WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO GRADUATE FROM TECH IN 1970.

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