"Searching for Shaniqua" examines the impact that unique, cultural and so-called "ghetto" names have on people's lives. The film addresses the personal, professional and social complexities of navigating name bias. Working from the question, "What's in a name?" the film centers the stories of six African-American women who have all faced stereotyping, because of their names. Their personal stories, along with the voices of professors, community members and other experts, illuminate the destabilizing power of structural and internalized racism, pressed up against classism. The right to name ourselves and our offspring is part of the basic fabric of family tradition. For some, the privilege to name is constricted by fears of how society will place value on an individual.
Broadcast In: English Duration: 0:55:32