# The history of a name

- Institution: TED
- Department: TEDxABQ
- Speaker: Bettye Kearse
- Year: 2022
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: History
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/bettye_kearse_the_history_of_a_name)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Can identity withstand generational trauma? "Five generations of enslavement had not destroyed their belief in themselves," says retired pediatrician Bettye Kearse as she shares the oral historis of her family—from the naming ceremonies of her Ghanian ancestors to her grandmother's enslavement in the house of James Madison. In this captivating talk, Kearse explores how our sense of self (our "I am") lies at the center of resilience in the face of racism and oppression.

## Lectures

1. [The history of a name](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/bettye_kearse_the_history_of_a_name/06c83343adc0), 11 min (TED's player)