Personal names have spiritual and religious meanings in the Christian tradition. But what if you carry an inherited surname that you feel is profoundly unchristian? Should you keep it or change it? Robert Beckford is going through this dilemma. His surname is a slave name, a brand of ownership passed down from his enslaved African ancestors in Jamaica. Over time, Robert has grown deeply uncomfortable with the meaning of this name and now wants to find a more spiritual alternative. Robert embarks on a journey of self-discovery, considering whether he should change or keep his inherited name.
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We've had so much taken away from us.
Do we celebrate so much?
You know, our names, our language, our culture, and it's just like, yes, Beckford is not our real name, but it does give us some sense of identity.
Even as we speak here, somebody is getting murdered because of their caste status, because they walked into a holy place which they are not supposed to walk into.
I'm Robert Beckford, an academic, theologian and Christian, and this is the documentary from the BBC World Service.
In this episode of Heart and Soul, which explores personal approaches to spirituality from around the world, I'm on a journey to determine whether or not I should change my surname.
I'm in London and it's another overcast day, but I'm not too concerned about the weather because I'm here to visit the Guild hall where the statue of Alderman Beckford is sitting situated.
I'm interested in Alderman Beckford because he was a slave owner in 18th century Jamaica and he enslaved my ancestors and gave them the name Beckford as a brand.
I wasn't able to see the statue this time because the building was closed and we couldn't get in.
But I've seen it on previous occasions and to be quite honest, I was happy not to see it again because every time I look at that statue, I get traumatized.
I think about the fact that this man enslaved Africans, was a terrible slave owner.
In 1760, he had 400 of them who decided to rebel, killed and the leader of the rebellion burned alive.
So why should I now continue to have this slave name Beckford?
Is it something that can be redeemed?
After all, my family have had this name for generations and have been quite comfortable having the name in Jamaica and even in Britain as well.
But there's another side to this.