Say Their Names

Matthew 26:13 – “Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

In remembrance of her. Except her name.

The power over naming is largely overlooked in our society. Bush II used to give journalists nicknames. They would joke about them, not realizing perhaps that giving someone an unasked-for nickname is a power move. It was subtle, but it was there. It worked, too. Coverage of Bush II should have been much more critical of many of his policies, in particular, the war in Iraq.

The current president is not so subtle. His nicknames are more insulting. They wield power differently. Rather than getting people on his side, they provoke defensiveness and divisiveness. He loves those things.

The ability to name something grants power. Giving someone a name requires power over them, as does not giving their name. People who “owned” slaves took away their original names along with their identities as free people. They often gave them mocking names, such as “Octavio,” the name of a Roman emperor. The irony amused them and made them feel more powerful than they were.

There’s a certain kind of white person who never got over losing that kind of power. They passed their grievances on to their kids and into other white people. These are the people who don’t care about police killings of Black people. These are the people who support the current president. These are the people who are jonesing to use the ‘N’ word. Sometimes they do.

But names themselves also have power. The slogans ‘say his name,’ ‘say her name,’ and ‘say their names” push back against this dehumanization of people of color. These slogans are used to individualize and remember those who have been lost to racist violence. They are used in remembrance of lynchings past and present. Those lost to such violence had names, they had gifts and talents, they had loved ones. They were people. Their lives mattered. Their actions mattered, just as this unnamed woman’s actions mattered.

Their deaths matter.

According to Buzzfeed, On The Day George Floyd Died, Police Across The US Shot And Killed At Least Five Other Men.

Say their names.

Janelle Monae - Hell You Talmbout

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