My name is...

Peace,
The names that our parents gave us are not slave names nor are they government names. Calling our birth names either of the preceding terms is not one of the original teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. Yes, many of our ‘surnames’ came from slave masters yet that was not always the case. Many times freed-men adopted surnames that went along with their profession. They are not government names because the government didn’t name us, our parents did. The teaching of our birth names being referred to as slave names is a teaching of the muslims of the Nation of Islam. They kept the X as a place marker until the Prophet; W.D. Muhammad gave them a name. The focus on calling one’s birth name their government name comes from the stressing of the notion of sovereignty by some branches of the Moorish Science Temple in the mid to late 80’s.

ALLAH was very specific on hot to relate to our birth name. He didn’t want to alienate us from our friends and family. He wanted us to generate an Understanding within ourselves through which we would be able to reach our friends and family. He called our birth names honorable names because it was up to us to bring honor to the name that our parents gave us. For many of the youth of the inner city their birth name is the only thing their parents ever gave them. Even in this day and time first born ABG#7 told a group of us that when we are mentoring the youth in this science that, when speaking of the youth to his parents, we should add honorable in front of their name.

When one is oriented in this Culture it is customary to choose a name utilizing our language to reflect one’s aptitude or area of specialty. Not everyone does so though. Some adopt their honorable name as their righteous name. Some in the Nation have taken it upon their self to change their honorable name to their righteous names through the legal system. Some refuse to pay anyone to change their name. There is no hard fixed law.

I know my origin in this world (Nation of Gods and Earths) and in that world (the world of the 85%). Some know me via my honorable name. Most know me through my righteous name. They ALL know what I advocate through the Culture that I live out. My alike Supreme Scientist puts it best when he said “There are not honorable or righteous names. There are honorable or righteous people.”

I learned a lesson from my father early on. He is a minister and has a long title (Advance Presiding Elder) that precedes his name. He never makes a fuss about it though. Everyone knows he is a minister. Some refer to him Bob. Through that close connection he is able to reach them. Other times some ‘try’ to slight him by not referring to his full title. At those times he addresses the situation and they end up calling him by his full title. Through that he showed me that it was important to be in the position to teach the common man AND to be in the position to show forth and prove who you are. ALLAH brought the same lesson.