Archive -> August 8, 2007

Adoptees with new names

(The) slave system was so degrading that the Tama-hu (white man) took all precautions to completely erase, from the minds of our people, our culture and language. It was at this point that you were given slave names. The Tama-hu “master” would allow the Nubians (Egyptians, Moors, Blacks) to keep their original first name for a while in order to distinguish which slaves belonged to him. For example a slave named Henry, belonging to a master named John, would be called Henry John. His offspring’s would be named after the slave master. For instance if his name was John, he became known as John-Son. That is where names like Mason, My-son, Ander-son, Jeffer-son, etc. came from. The slave master would adopt you as his son. If you worked under the Blacksmith you became known as Smith. If you look into the history of the language, you will find people with names like Carpenter, Wood, Forest, Barnes, Taylor, Butcher, Chain, Steel, Judge, Gardener, Hill, Woodsfield or Mr. Brick.

After decades of random naming and families of slaves being sold separately, all family ties were lost. This is exactly the way the Tama-hu planned it. Brothers and sisters of the same tribe, with different masters, were taught that they had no relations. As original first names were lost, they would sign “X” Johnson. This was all in the Tama-hu’s plan to manipulate the language and confuse you as to who you really are. Even now you meet people of different last names and you say, “she looks like you. You two could be brothers and sisters. She and her old man look just alike.” Well, they are from the same family. That is right. He could be your long lost brother or sister.

In the movie Roots by Alex Haley, the Tama-hu had to beat a Nubian, Kunta Kinte, to get him to change and accept the name Tobe. Nowadays, the white man does not have to beat you, because you are able (and eager) to change it freely.

Excerpted from The Egiptian [sic] Names by Dr. Malachi Z. York