Can names create subconscious bias? What is the history of our given name? Does the region where our name is most popular impact how we are perceived? How do social status and laws affect our name? Why is it so challenging to ask someone how their name is pronounced?

This series aims to open a doorway to explore issues that affect us every day, and that, ultimately, reverberate through the most intimate aspects of who we are. While we will explore basic tools and name etiquette, with the kindness and respect we all deserve, we intend to reflect about what our names say about us, and how they may be used to define who we are. Please join our exploration of a crucial topic seldom discussed.

As part of the natural evolution of the series, we invite audiences explore place names and how they impact and reflect upon our identities, how we are perceived, and how we navigate the frameworks they set in motion. This session will be an introduction to place names and their significance as a part of a community's identity, touching upon themes of colonialism, enslavement, migration, and more.

This event is co-sponsored by the University Center for International Studies and the World History Center.