Why we name public spaces after particular individuals should be easy to explain. It is to recognise their achievements and to ensure that their good example is not forgotten and that it serves as an inspiration to successor generations.
Month: February 2021
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The Art of Naming and the Symbolism of Life and Death in Names
The rhythm created by the syllables of your name determines whether the world will consider you worthy of life. It is a fact that few-lettered names like Apa, Mao and Moi have a strong presence in our memories while long ones disadvantage their bearers.
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Changing your Name without Changing the gods of your Parents
The curiosity of finding out the meaning of my ‘Christian’ name and its biblical roots began at an early age, prompted by my father’s strictness on religious discipline.
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Against the Tyranny of Nativism
Apparently, taking European and Middle Eastern names is a crime against African humanity. There is nothing I hate like being told what to do and not to do as an African.
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Naming as a Cultural and Political Metaphor
The name one is given does not merely identify him/her in space and time; it also reflects the social relationships, power distribution and attitudinal orientation of people in a discourse community.
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Introduction to the Inaugural Special Issue of The Nairobi Reader
Distinguished academics, daring intellectuals and promising new voices who may not have been published in such a magazine or who may not be known to many people in social, cultural and literary spaces share a common home in this collection to reflect on the timeless, if rhetorical, question, “What’s in a name?”