What’s in a Name?

Aug 19

A friend once asked me, “How do you like to be identified? Is it okay to call you ‘Black’?” I paused, inhaled fully, and answered: “The labels ‘Black’ or ‘White’ are corporate designations—tools forged by global elites to divide and dilute us, to erode the power of our lineage, our spirit, our truth.”

That question lingered—not because of the words themselves, but because of the deeper reflection beneath them: how we define ourselves in a world that profits from misnaming us.

The Power of Cultural Identity: A Source of Strength

Our cultural identity isn’t just who we are—it’s a lifeline to resilience and mental wellness. Scholars have found that a strong ethnic identity correlates with higher self-esteem, reduced depressive symptoms, and greater overall well-being. For communities facing discrimination, culture acts as an anchor that helps individuals maintain dignity and hope.

This isn’t only true for African-Americans. A large study of nearly 1,000 Chinese college students revealed that cultural identity nourishes a sense of life’s meaning—especially when it is paired with solidarity and resilience.

Identity isn’t just personal—it’s communal. It strengthens the way we interpret life, endure adversity, and connect with one another across boundaries.

Identity and Community: The African-American Experience

For African-Americans, identity has always been contested terrain. Our history is marked by forced renaming, fractured genealogies, and systemic attempts to erase continuity. Yet out of that fragmentation, culture still rises—through song, faith, language, and rhythm.

Rich with nuance and culture. Many African-Americans are in fact either Aboriginal in their lineage or descend from European nobility (an entire podcast episode will be dedicated to this fact of information). The perpetrated notion that 50 million Africans were transported from the west coast of Africa to the Americas and that every so-called “black” person currently living in America is a descendant of slavery is merely another attempt by the global elites to control and weaken the psyche of the so-called “black” person.

Note that I am not denying that the Trans-Atlantic slave trade occured, I am merely saying that the numbers they propagate are an egregious form of disinformation and that every so-called “black” person is not the descendant of a slave. If you believe that all you come from is slavery, then subconsciously you will never believe that you can ever become anything more than that.

This is the reason that disinformation is propagated; in order to stiffen the growth and elevation of one’s community. The African American community must remember they descend from rulership and nobility.

When African-Americans ground themselves in cultural identity, it creates more than individual clarity. It generates continuity—the thread that ties one generation to the next. That continuity forms the bedrock of trust, which strengthens communities and protects against the forces that aim to dismantle them.

Sociologists have long noted that communities with strong cultural cohesion develop greater social trust, which directly contributes to resilience, safety, and collective progress. For African-Americans, this is not just theory—it is truth. The deeper our grounding in culture, the stronger our neighborhoods, the firmer our institutions, the louder our collective voice.

When Identity Feels Torn: The Cost of Conflict

The absence of cultural grounding leaves scars. Research has found that young people experiencing cultural identity conflict often face reduced self-esteem, greater emotional distress, and less clarity in their sense of purpose.

For African-Americans, this reality is amplified by systemic efforts to redefine us through reductive labels. When we accept those external definitions without question, trust erodes—not only within ourselves but also within our communities.

This is why reclaiming identity is more than a personal choice. It is communal elevation.

Beyond Labels: Reclaim Identity and Healing

Labels like “Black” or “White” are not neutral. They were designed in boardrooms of those attempting to control the matrix we live in order to divide, control, and erase. To live only within those boundaries is to live within the imagination of someone else’s empire.

Reclaiming cultural identity is not about nostalgia—it is about healing. It allows individuals and communities to silence the corporate gaze and reconnect with truth. It becomes spiritual armor against false narratives.

When people rediscover their cultural names, languages, and stories, they build healthier relationships with themselves and with others. They develop resilience, deeper empathy, and more sustainable forms of connection. Reclaiming identity is not about building walls—it is about repairing bridges.

Embracing Lineage, Expanding Empathy

Rooting yourself in your culture does not limit you—it expands you. When you know your own story, you no longer need to reduce or flatten someone else’s. You can see the richness of difference not as a threat, but as an opportunity for communion.

This is why the Chinese student study resonates: the lesson is universal. Cultural identity gives life meaning. And meaning gives us the capacity to respect, love, and collaborate with others.

In this way, identity clarity for one group becomes a gift to all groups. It is not division—it is dignity.