Essential Reading: Emily Bernard on Names, Race, Gifts, and Burdens

In "My Name is Emily," Trinidadian Black American scholar Emily Bernard brilliantly demonstrates her assertion that what we call ourselves, and what others call us, can be simultaneously a burden and a gift.

"When I think of Emily, I think of M&Ms, clementines, marshmallows, marmalade, and other confections. It might be nice to play a role in the lives of those I love similar to that of a confection in human form," 

writes University of Vermont English professor Emily Bernard in her biographical essay for The American Scholar. It’s a revealing moment of playfulness amidst a profound exploration of the meaning and weight of names. Much as we might wish to define our own names to fit ourselves, oftentimes we can only contribute to the deeper social, cultural, and familial weights they convey. And they also define us. "A name is a map," she writes, "a link to the past as much as it is a claim on the future."

Bernard’s essay thoughtfully traces how names traverse multiple planes: historical, racial, familial, and social — and shape identity, belonging, and opportunity. For anyone exploring the social and emotional power of names, this is a remarkable read you won’t want to miss.

Read Emily Bernard’s essay at The American Scholar.