Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - April Magazine - Blogger Nation - Index

TRIBUNE
MAGAZINE • APRIL 2008
Managing Editor
Irving Randolph
Chief
Financial Officer
John Holmes
Production Manager
Bruce Johnson
IT Manager
Todd Edwards
Founder and Publisher
Christopher J. Perry, Sr.
1884 -1921
Editor and Publisher
E. Washington Rhodes
1922 - 1970
Chairman of
the Board
Walter R. Livingston, Jr.
President/CEO
Robert W. Bogle
Vice President
Business Manager
Bertha N. Godfrey
Tribune Magazine is a monthly publication of The Philadelphia Tribune newspaper,
America's oldest and Philadelphia's largest African-American owned publication. On the first
Sunday of each month, the Tribune Magazine addresses topics of interest and importance to
the African-American community and is dedicated to the principle of making a difference in
your life.
has its office at:
520 S. 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Telephone: (215) 893-4050
Fax: (215) 735-3612
4 TRIBUNE MAGAZINE APRIL 2008
Magazine Editor
Shonda McClain
(215) 893-5762
Advertising Director
Al Thomas
(215) 893-5713
Circulation Director
Michael LeVere
(215) 893-5712
Strategic Planning &
Business Development
Mariska Bogle
(215) 893-5751
Production Specialist/
Graphic Designer
Calvin Rankin
Contributors
Rita Charleston
Patty Jackson
Cherry Bañez
Shantella Sherman
Photographers
Abdul Sulayman
Hiroko Tanaka
EDITOR’S NOTE
Iwill admit it. I used to hate my name. Well, hate might
be too strong, but I did not like it very much when I
was in high school. I thought it was too “ethnic” and
could not understand why my dear, sweet mother did
not give me a “normal” name.
My mother told me she was originally going to name
me Ericka, but changed it to Shonda because she
thought it was unique and pretty.
I felt cursed.
All I could think about was how much better my life
would have been had she stuck with Ericka. Surely, I’d
be more popular than I was as a Shonda. And I’d be
able to buy one of those cheesy key chains with common
names that was so popular in the ’80s. The closest
they had to Shonda was Shannon. For heaven’s sake,
my name was not even in baby name books!
By the time I entered college, I had begun to embrace
my name. People complimented it, said it was pretty.
But that didn’t matter so much as I got older. I liked the
fact that my name was not and still is not common. I
liked that it stood out in a sea of Angela’s, Nicole’s and
yes, Ericka’s. I liked how it looked in print and I liked
what it represented – me. After all, your name is what
you make it.
This month, the Tribune Magazine takes a look at the
name game. Are African-American children with unique
or what is termed “super-Black” names put at a disadvantage
when it comes to getting a job or how they are
perceived in a classroom? Should Black women be told
what they can and cannot name their children? Experts
weigh in on this very personal topic.
By the way, Shonda can now be found in baby name
books, too.
This edition also takes a look at the phenomenon of
Internet blogs and explores how the fight for civil rights
has moved from the streets to the computer. Are you
plugged in?
Enjoy!
Shonda McClain
Magazine Editor