Heart and Soul: Should I change my name?

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 April 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if you carry an inherited surname that you feel is profoundly un-Christian? Should you keep it or change it? Robert Beckford is going through this dilemma. His surname is a slave name, a brand of ownership passed down from his enslaved African ancestors in Jamaica. Over time, Robert has grown deeply uncomfortable with the meaning of this name and now wants to find a more spiritual alternative. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery, considering whether he should change or keep his inherited name.

Transcript

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0:16.9	We've had so much taken away from us to be so great, so much, you know, our names, our language, our culture, and it's just like, like yes Beckford is not our real name but it does give us some sense of identity. Even as we speak here somebody is getting murdered because of their car status,
0:26.0	because they walked into a holy place which they are not supposed to walk into.
0:30.0	I'm Robert Beckford, an academic theologian and Christian, and this is the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:40.0	In this episode of Heart and Soul, which explores personal approaches to spirituality from around the world,
0:46.0	I'm on a journey to determine whether or not I should change my surname.
0:51.0	I'm in London. surname. Guildhall where the statue of Alderman Beckford is situated. I'm interested in
1:04.9	Alderman Beckford because he was a slave owner in 18th century Jamaica and he
1:11.1	enslaved my ancestors and gave them the name Beckford as a brand.
1:16.2	I wasn't able to see the statue this time because the building was closed and we
1:20.1	couldn't get in but I've seen it on previous occasions and to be quite
1:23.1	honest I was happy not to see it again because every time I look at that statue I
1:27.6	get traumatized I think about the fact that this man enslaved Africans was a terrible slave owner in 1760 he had
1:37.2	400 of them who decided to rebel killed and the leader of the rebellion burned alive.
1:43.0	So why should I now continue to have this slave name, Beckford?
1:48.0	Is it something that can be redeemed?
1:50.0	After all, my family have had this name for generations and have been quite comfortable
1:55.4	having the name in Jamaica and even in Britain as well. But there's another side to this.
2:00.6	I want to know if as a Christian having a name that signifies oppression, brutality and
2:07.5	destruction is actually spiritually healthy. The big question for me then is should I change my name? Is it now time to
2:15.9	ditch the Beckford name and find another name that reflects my identity and
2:20.7	spirituality today? But a sub-question is how do I go about it? Is it simply a case
2:26.2	of finding a new name that works for me based on my own life history or do I take a
	...

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