Ethnic Names No Obstacle For Today’s Black Candidates

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November 9th, 2017

Keisha Lance Bottoms will face Mary Norwood in a Dec. 5 runoff to be Atlanta’s next mayor. Ethnic-sounding names had long been considered an obstacle, particularly when applying for jobs or college admissions. The 1970s “Black Is Beautiful” movement led to a boom in Afrocentric names, and many of those children are now adults working across all facets of American society, including politics.

Kaitlin Kolarik / WABE

Atlanta’s next mayor could be a black woman named Keisha — a prospect that thrills Diamond Harris.

The 28-year-old graphic designer exulted Wednesday on her Facebook page: “Keisha, Keisha, Keisha! I just want a mayor name Keisha.”

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