It’s early afternoon. Rashad is standing at a bus stop; he can see the bus approaching.
RASHAD: About time. Looks at his watch. This bus is 15 minutes late!
The Bus comes to a stop, the doors open. Rashad approaches the bus and prepares to board when the driver puts up a hand, signaling Rashad to stop.
BUS DRIVER: Name, date of birth, citizenship status?
RASHAD: What?
BUS DRIVER: I need your name, date of birth, and citizenship status before boarding.
RASHAD: Since when? I don’t have to give you all that.
BUS DRIVER: Since Clayburn’s U.I.I. Initiative.
RASHAD: U.I.I.?
BUS DRIVER: You know, Unfairness, Inequality, and Injustice for all? The point of these questions is to make everyone feel as harassed as everyone else. So, name, date of birth, citizenship status?
RASHAD: They can’t do this. I have rights!
BUS DRIVER: Apparently they can and apparently you don’t. You gettin’ on or what? I’m already runnin’ behind. You’re the 5th person in the last 15 minutes that I’ve had to explain this stuff too.
Rashad sighing: Yeah, I’m getting on. Rashad Washington, 11/12/2002, citizen. Rashad starts to step onto the bus.
BUS DRIVER: Hold on there, youngin’. We got a problem.
RASHAD: What? I gave you the info you asked for. And, I have my fare right here! Holds up palm with coins in them.
BUS DRIVER: You young folks don’t keep up with nothing huh? With your tweeting and snapping chatting y’all still don’t know the latest news.
RASHAD: What news?
BUS DRIVER: See, that’s what I’m saying, y’all don’t . . .
RASHAD: Sir, what news?
BUS DRIVER: Well, I hate to tell you, but your name’s illegal now.
RASHAD: Say what?
BUS DRIVER: Yeah, Mayor announced it two days ago. “All racially specific names are now outlawed. Citizens must come to City Hall to register a new racially ambiguous name.”
RASHAD: That’s crazy! It makes no sense. What the hell is a racially ambiguous name anyway? I like my name, I’m keeping it.
BUS DRIVER: Rashad is a nice name. Good strong name. But, when you think about it, with this new law can’t be no Brads or Todd’s now either. So, it ain’t all bad.
RASHAD: How am I supposed to come up with a racially ambiguous name? And are you telling me I can’t board the bus without one?
BUS DRIVER thinks for a second: I’ll let you on this one time. But you gotta go get your name fixed.
RASHAD: Thanks. Boards the bus and sits in the front seat. So, you think it’s okay for the government to tell us what our names should be?
BUS DRIVER: Don’t matter what I think, it’s about what is.
RASHAD: But still, we shouldn’t just be going along with stuff. Just because it’s a law doesn’t make it right. I mean we . . .
BUS DRIVER: This ain’t our only battle to fight. You’re young, and you may not understand this yet but with all that’s going on, sometimes you gotta pick your battles. That’s all.
RASHAD: But these are our names. It’s our identity we’re talking about!
BUS DRIVER: Just pick something like John, Justin, William, or James. It’ll be fine. Save your fight for the big stuff.
RASHAD: So, you got a racially ambiguous name then?
BUS DRIVER proudly: Yep, I’m James Smith.
RASHAD: That’s still black as hell!
BUS DRIVER smiling: Ain’t it?
Author’s note: Let’s talk about names or rather the power of them. How many times have black people been told to stop naming their children this or that? Or what about other people of color taking on “white” names to get ahead in the workplace or because those names are deemed easier to pronounce? Names are an important part of identity and what we call something gives meaning. So yeah, scrap all that “be more like this group” garbage. And that’s all I have to say about that.
The World We Live In Now 