Category: Black Names Matter
Thandiwe Newton Is Reclaiming The Correct Spelling Of Her Name
Thandie Newton is Thandie no more. In a new interview with British Vogue, she declares herself Thandiwe Newton, which is the correct spelling of her name. Thandiwe says, “That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine.” Thandiwe means “beloved” in Shona, a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Thandiwe’s mother is the granddaughter of a Shona chief, which makes her, Thandiwe, and her daughters all Zimbabwean princesses. Continue reading
Lady Antebellum Picked The Wrong One When They Came For The Real Lady A’s Name
The band formally known as but is basically still named Lady Antebellum shot themselves in the foot when they decided to officially change their name to Lady A before checking in with Anita White who has used Lady A as her stage name since Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and David Haywood were in denim diapers. It’s been one month since Lady A is For Antebellum filed their lawsuit against Anita for the rights to use her name, and according to Billboard, “the two parties are no closer to a solution.” That’s because Anita refuses to back down and she continues to speak out about Lady A is For Antebellum’s shameful pandering and subsequent double cross.
Anita White, The Original “Lady A”, Says Lady Antebellum Are Trying To Make Her Look Like “The Angry Black Woman”
Lady A “will not be erased” by a trio of bougie hillbillies and their high-powered attorneys. Anita White, whose stage name the band Lady A is For Antebellum (red flag #1) tried to snatch up from underneath her nose, has given an interview with Vulture. In it, she says she’s not backing down. Earlier this week we learned that negotiations over who had the right to use Lady A broke down and the band filed a lawsuit against Anita for rights to the name. This came after screenshots from a Zoom meeting between Anita and band members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and David Haywood were posted on Instagram suggesting that they all got together and sang kumbaya or some shit (a Gullah Geechee negro spiritual btw— we give and we give). Well, Anita says it was all bullshit.
Lady Antebellum “Privately” Chatted With Blues Singer Lady A About Taking Her Name
Last week Lady Antebellum, a country music group whose music I’ve never ever heard (I exclusively listen to Imagine Dragons [JK JK]) changed their name to Lady A after “many honest conversations” with their Black friends. Because now that everyone finally agrees racism is bad, using the word “antebellum”, which harkens back to the pre-Civil War South and slavery, is a no-go.
But, as we all know, the road to problematic is paved with good intentions. The band was immediately called out for using the same name as Anita White, a Black Seattle blues singer who’s been performing as “Lady A” for over two decades. The real Lady A was annoyed no one reached out to her or bothered to Google the name. A-greed! Now the band, in White Damage Control Level 2.0 (we saw Kristen Bell in this mode yesterday), has shared that they “privately” spoke to Lady A to discuss the name.
Lady A Sings The Blues: Lady Antebellum’s New Name Was Already Taken By A Black Blues Singer
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ spiritual wedding band, Lady Antebellum, just made the decision to remove the spiritual confederate flag from their name and have rebranded themselves as Lady A after “having many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends.” However, according to Rolling Stone, Lady Antebellum’s best Black friends failed to recommend they Google Lady A before changing everything “on social media and distribution platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, and the group’s website,” because it turns out the name was already being used by Anita White, a Black blues singer from Seattle who has been performing and recording under the name Lady A for over 20 years. If this is not an occasion for an Issa Rae “deep, heavy, negro spiritual sigh,” I don’t know what is.