‘Hello, My Name Is …’: VOX ATL Teen On What It’s Like Having Ethnic-Sounding Name

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March 4th, 2021

“School is one of the first places that children look to find acceptance and community from,” writes VOX ATL’s Zariah Taylor. “That experience can be difficult when people don’t make the effort to learn your name or mispronounce it on purpose.”

Art illustration by Zariah Taylor / Courtesy of VOX ATL

By Zariah Taylor

My name is Zariah (pronounced zar-ree-uh).

I was named after the character Zaria from the sitcom “The Parent ‘Hood.” However, my mom accidentally added the “h” to my birth certificate, and because of that one mistake, my name has been mispronounced my entire life.

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