Your name is your crown, so wear it | Toluwanimi Obiwole | TEDxMileHigh

la la waka Toso Mallorca that is we look

la la waka Toso Mallorca that is we look within before we name our children for

within before we name our children for

within before we name our children for they will bear our bones precious that

they will bear our bones precious that

they will bear our bones precious that is what my mother at a tender fourteen

is what my mother at a tender fourteen

is what my mother at a tender fourteen named her unborn child not knowing who

named her unborn child not knowing who

named her unborn child not knowing who would come first

would come first

would come first boy or girl just knowing they would be

boy or girl just knowing they would be

boy or girl just knowing they would be precious but that is just one name

precious but that is just one name

precious but that is just one name embedded like a pillow to cushion the

embedded like a pillow to cushion the

embedded like a pillow to cushion the blows from the bullets that fly from the

blows from the bullets that fly from the

blows from the bullets that fly from the pistols that are my names

pistols that are my names

pistols that are my names Tolu on in me precious Ulua Familia a

Tolu on in me precious Ulua Familia a

Tolu on in me precious Ulua Familia a lodge macare Arawa Tolu enemy is a

lodge macare Arawa Tolu enemy is a

lodge macare Arawa Tolu enemy is a lightning bolt means to God I belong

lightning bolt means to God I belong

lightning bolt means to God I belong because my mother labor nearly a month

because my mother labor nearly a month

because my mother labor nearly a month shooting prayers like arrows at the

shooting prayers like arrows at the

shooting prayers like arrows at the demons whom she would not allow to have

demons whom she would not allow to have

demons whom she would not allow to have her child Ulua Familia is honey in your

her child Ulua Familia is honey in your

her child Ulua Familia is honey in your mouth means God has given me joy the

mouth means God has given me joy the

mouth means God has given me joy the kind of joy that has the strength to

kind of joy that has the strength to

kind of joy that has the strength to endure two miscarriages and come home

endure two miscarriages and come home

endure two miscarriages and come home after a 12-hour shifts to breastfeed a

after a 12-hour shifts to breastfeed a

after a 12-hour shifts to breastfeed a baby whom she hopes will grow up to

baby whom she hopes will grow up to

baby whom she hopes will grow up to speak English like the best of them even

speak English like the best of them even

speak English like the best of them even now when she cannot express herself she

now when she cannot express herself she

now when she cannot express herself she will sigh and say I once knew how to

will sigh and say I once knew how to

will sigh and say I once knew how to speak that language I don’t know where

speak that language I don’t know where

speak that language I don’t know where it went and I long to wrap her in the

it went and I long to wrap her in the

it went and I long to wrap her in the womb of my arms tell her mama

womb of my arms tell her mama

womb of my arms tell her mama who needs English when you speak the

who needs English when you speak the

who needs English when you speak the language of heavenly love or lodge mocha

language of heavenly love or lodge mocha

language of heavenly love or lodge mocha is a family heirloom means wealth value

is a family heirloom means wealth value

is a family heirloom means wealth value together like a fighting prize but I

together like a fighting prize but I

together like a fighting prize but I hide it behind my teeth so no one gets

hide it behind my teeth so no one gets

hide it behind my teeth so no one gets too comfortable with me herua is a

too comfortable with me herua is a

too comfortable with me herua is a legacy to beautiful daughter of the

legacy to beautiful daughter of the

legacy to beautiful daughter of the beautiful one because my mother’s first

beautiful one because my mother’s first

beautiful one because my mother’s first name is a runaway slave she shed the

name is a runaway slave she shed the

name is a runaway slave she shed the chains of Kristiana for the royal

chains of Kristiana for the royal

chains of Kristiana for the royal history of a dirty lassie she knew

history of a dirty lassie she knew

history of a dirty lassie she knew she was a queen so she could not bear a

she was a queen so she could not bear a

she was a queen so she could not bear a name that would mean one thing to her

name that would mean one thing to her

name that would mean one thing to her colonizers and nothing to her tribe but

colonizers and nothing to her tribe but

colonizers and nothing to her tribe but I used to hate my name once I gave it to

I used to hate my name once I gave it to

I used to hate my name once I gave it to a boy and he returned it to me broken

a boy and he returned it to me broken

a boy and he returned it to me broken mangled and ugly so I ran home begging

mangled and ugly so I ran home begging

mangled and ugly so I ran home begging my mother to exchange it for something

my mother to exchange it for something

my mother to exchange it for something he could love ice cream call me Anna

he could love ice cream call me Anna

he could love ice cream call me Anna call me Sarah call me anything but this

call me Sarah call me anything but this

call me Sarah call me anything but this I was choking on the cup of poison that

I was choking on the cup of poison that

I was choking on the cup of poison that I had drunk from a society that told me

I had drunk from a society that told me

I had drunk from a society that told me adaptation means renaming yourself

adaptation means renaming yourself

adaptation means renaming yourself reinvent yourself in America two neat

reinvent yourself in America two neat

reinvent yourself in America two neat slaps across the face was all the CPR I

slaps across the face was all the CPR I

slaps across the face was all the CPR I needed she said to Lu WA do not reject

needed she said to Lu WA do not reject

needed she said to Lu WA do not reject gifts from God your name may not be

gifts from God your name may not be

gifts from God your name may not be refined like sugar that slips through

refined like sugar that slips through

refined like sugar that slips through the cracks of your fingers but it is in

the cracks of your fingers but it is in

the cracks of your fingers but it is in fact the sugar king that men must break

fact the sugar king that men must break

fact the sugar king that men must break their teeth on before being rewarded

their teeth on before being rewarded

their teeth on before being rewarded with the sweetness your name holds

with the sweetness your name holds

with the sweetness your name holds weight every syllable is a drop as a

weight every syllable is a drop as a

weight every syllable is a drop as a beat from the talking drum that your

beat from the talking drum that your

beat from the talking drum that your ancestors dance to and though you are so

ancestors dance to and though you are so

ancestors dance to and though you are so much more than your name it is your

much more than your name it is your

much more than your name it is your crown so wear it

[Music]

[Music] [Applause]