We’re often taught newly emancipated Black people kept their enslavers surnames. But that’s a MYTH! Many emancipated Black people actually chose their own surnames, but this truth of why some didn’t has often been hidden.
After the Civil War, many Black veterans changed their surnames to escape KKK members using enlistment records to track down and murder them.
This got tricky later when Black vets applied for war pensions – many were denied or forced to defend themselves because their citizenship papers didn’t match their enlistment forms.
It was also common for emancipated Black people to take their mother or father’s last name, attempting to keep the family together in name even if they weren’t together physically.
If an emancipated Black person’s father was their former enslaver, occasionally they’d choose to keep the surname for accountability, as if to say “you’ll never be able to deny what you did!”
Saying your name is how you introduce yourself to the world, while also paying homage to your lineage. The next time you introduce yourself to someone, say your name loud and proud!
Your name, whether given to you by family or chosen by you, holds power. Like newly freed Black people, we have the power to determine what we call ourselves – and to speak truth to the lies told about our people!