Thinking of a good name

I understand Black people can and do have any kind of name that they or their parents choose, but in my own racial experience, I hate when a work has Latino characters but none of them have Latino first names, for example. I'd like to give my Black characters authentic first names, but I don't want to make up a "Black sounding" name and I don't know where to start looking for real frequently used names.

I also believe that names hint at what type of vibe a character has, like a "Timmy" having a different personality to a "Chad" if that makes sense. I'm not sure which name gives off which vibe when it comes to Black American names.

Is this a reasonable thing to consider? And if so, do you have any resources on Black names? Anything from baby name websites to studies on the history of Black American first names would be helpful. I specify "Black American" because while I also have Black Latino characters, I'm familiar with naming trends and meanings for that demographic. Thank you for your advice!

Changing one’s name might be one of the most American things a Black person can do, emblematic of one of the country’s most enduring, if elusive, promises: that where you begin isn’t necessarily where you must end.

One can find themselves introduced to the world as Chloe Anthony Wofford and exit it as Toni Morrison, or begin life as Gloria Jean Watkins and conclude it as bell hooks.

Behind a name lies an expanse of motivations, possibilities and intentions. A name, chosen, repeated and stubbornly asserted, can point to reclamation, remembrance and self-determination, as it did for many kidnapped and enslaved Africans who fought to hold fast to their homelands. For enslaved Americans running away to emancipate themselves, a name change could be just as much about security as self-possession.

I understand your question, but I feel like by asking what is "specifically Black American" you are forgetting that "Black American" would still be a melting pot of names because we are a melting pot of people, with lots of historical and cultural events having an effect on the names we choose- even if it's not as structured as it might be in Latin America. I think by trying to do what you're saying here (like "names that have vibes"), you have a good chance of slipping into stereotypes and I'm not comfortable encouraging you to think that way. Black Americans often gift their children names that signify what they wish for their child, or how they feel about them- pick a name with some strong meaning, and have that character embody (or struggle against) that!

We are a family from Gaza… welcoming this Ramadan with heavy hearts and empty tables.

We no longer think about special dishes or decorations for the holy month; instead, we worry about finding a single loaf of bread to ease our children’s hunger, and medicine to relieve the pain of our sick loved ones.

At iftar time, silence fills our home. We hide our tears behind faint smiles so our little ones do not feel the weight of our helplessness.

Ramadan is the month of mercy, and we pray that its mercy reaches us through the hands of those who hear our voice… A sincere prayer, a simple meal, or a box of medicine could bring back a small piece of hope during this blessed month.

✅️Vetted by @gaza-evacuation-funds & @90-ghost

Every donation, no matter how small, can save us from danger.

✅️Here's my campaign link ⬇️⬇️⬇️

My name is Maram, I am 25 years old from Gaza. I dreamed of a peaceful life, spending my life with my husband and my three children... but the war turned this dream into an impossible one 💔😭. We lived through this genocide with all its painful details and we are still suffering from it😭. We were so happy when the ceasefire was announced, and we returned to our homes in northern Gaza after being displaced for a year and a half in a tent in the south of the Gaza Strip. After repairing a small room in our destroyed house, we began to live there and start over. Unfortunately, the war came back, and it was even stronger than before 💔. Now, we have no shelter or source of income. We have used up all our savings during the war. I know I created my campaign very late, but that's because I have no other means to help my family 🙏. I am completely confident and hopeful that someone here will help us as much as they can and save my family in these tough circumstances 😔.

I know how painful and frustrating it is to start over from scratch, but I hope to get any amount for my family 🥺🙏.

My name is Suhaila, a mother of four children.

I am writing these words from inside the hospital, with a heart full of fear and pain.

My health is very critical. My iron level is 6,

and my little daughter Miral’s iron level is 5.

I urgently need donations to buy the medicine and save our lives

My husband is injured and unable to work. We have no income and no protection.

Our family lives in a torn tent, exposed to cold, hunger, and fear every day.

My health is very critical. My iron level is 6,

and my little daughter Miral’s iron level is 5.

She is so weak… her small body is fading, and I cannot afford the medicine or the food she needs to survive.

Right now, my daughter and I are in the hospital, waiting helplessly.

My other children are alone in the tent, hungry and scared.

We are not asking for luxury.

We are asking for treatment to stay alive

and food so my children do not die.

Please, do not let my children lose their mother,

and do not let me lose my daughter in front of my eyes.

Help us. Save us. We are slowly dying. 😭💔🙏

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #724 )✅️

Donation link

Campaign checked by 90-ghost

@punkitt-is-here @tamamita @skunkbear @b0ner5-blog @apas-95 @sayruq @nabulsi27 @postanagramgenerator @ibtisam @flower-tea @gaza-giving-tree @a-shade-of-blue @gazavetters @ot3 @3000s @wolfertinger666 @valtsv @paper-mario-wiki @nyancrimew @sporesgalaxy @90-ghost @komsomolka @prisonhannibal @apas-95 @neecheeneko-blog @afro-elf @vampiricvenus @turtletoria-art @beetledrinkisafuckingloser @bevsi @beserkerjewel @i-am-a-fish @i-am-a-fish @spacebeyonce @bonkcreat @11thsense @boomalope-pope

I wrote everything and talked about everything. I don’t know what else to write. We are hungry. I haven’t eaten since the day before yesterday. I am very exhausted. Please donate to me.😭😥💔🙏🏻🙏🏻

✅️Vetted by @gaza-evacuation-funds & @90-ghost

Every donation, no matter how small, can save us from danger.

✅️Here's my campaign link ⬇️⬇️⬇️

My name is Fadi from Gaza 🙏. Our lives completely changed after our home was destroyed. My wife, our four children, and I are now displaced, moving from place to place trying to survive under extremely difficult conditions. My wife and daughter were seriously injured, and we urgently need medical care, food, and safe shelter. 💔😭

We are now living in a small tent, fearing the rain and the freezing cold. We don’t have enough food or money to provide for our basic needs. Without your support, I won’t be able to buy tarps to protect us from the rain, provide enough food for my children, or even save a small amount to rent a small apartment anywhere in Gaza.

Please do not ignore my plea. Every bit of support, no matter how small, will make a huge difference in our lives. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing by me and supporting us in these difficult times. 🙏💛

Not all of the people reading your x reader fics have white skin

Just a gentle reminder before you write characteristics that assume whiteness and exclude your black/indigenous/poc supporters-specifically in 'x reader' works.

I love and appreciate writers, but this is a recurring avoidable issue (going on for decades now).

"your dusky pink nipples" "your face turned just as red as his" "he could see the blush on your face" “your cheeks furiously blushed” “your ears burn bright red” “The look in your reddened face” “your knuckles white with effort” “bruised purple against your light skin”

Describing the physical feeling instead of the visual change helps include your readers while also elevating your writing IMO.

Anyone can say "Your cheeks turned red with embarrassment" or "Your face flushed" but wouldn't you rather say "A burning heat rushed across your face, from your neck to the tip of your nose, prickling right underneath the surface. You look anywhere but him, hoping your newfound interest in the buildings ceiling tiles will ease the fire tightening beneath your skin" And instead of the other character pointing out that the readers face is red, they can point out the obvious flustered facial expression/body language.

If you want your reader insert to have white/fairskin, then just label them white!reader or put the mention in the warnings/summary.

↪I have reached out to writers I favored/supported before and sometimes I have been met with severe hostility and defensiveness. I often wonder if people are doing this purposefully or for some reason think only white people read their fanfics (?)-if that's the case then be upfront and label your reader inserts as white!reader or something PLEASE. It’s gotten to the point where I feel like black women and other POC aren’t wanted or considered in these fandoms because it comes off like that in your writing. If you need a different motivation, just know you're missing out on more interactions, reblogs, and a bigger reader base. I don’t know why white is the default for so many writers in unspecified x reader/reader insert fics-the people on your blog following, reading, and supporting you aren’t all white and fair-skinned.

I am not talking about OC fics or fics where race/skintone is x specified in summary or warnings. This is specifically about unspecified "x reader" where whiteness is assumed as the default

This Yoruba bust (or Ife Head) is dated to the 12th-14th centuries.

This misunderstanding also deeply, unfortunately, and inaccurately mischaracterizes traditional arts in African cultures as being “less developed” for being more stylized, as if they cannot figure out realism due to difficulty (lmao?), which simply is not the case.

My name is Suhaila, a mother of four children.

I am writing these words from inside the hospital, with a heart full of fear and pain.

My health is very critical. My iron level is 6,

and my little daughter Miral’s iron level is 5.

I urgently need donations to buy the medicine and save our lives

My husband is injured and unable to work. We have no income and no protection.

Our family lives in a torn tent, exposed to cold, hunger, and fear every day.

My health is very critical. My iron level is 6,

and my little daughter Miral’s iron level is 5.

She is so weak… her small body is fading, and I cannot afford the medicine or the food she needs to survive.

Right now, my daughter and I are in the hospital, waiting helplessly.

My other children are alone in the tent, hungry and scared.

We are not asking for luxury.

We are asking for treatment to stay alive

and food so my children do not die.

Please, do not let my children lose their mother,

and do not let me lose my daughter in front of my eyes.

Help us. Save us. We are slowly dying. 😭💔🙏

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #724 )✅️

Donation link

Campaign checked by 90-ghost

@punkitt-is-here @tamamita @skunkbear @b0ner5-blog @apas-95 @sayruq @nabulsi27 @postanagramgenerator @ibtisam @flower-tea @gaza-giving-tree @a-shade-of-blue @gazavetters @ot3 @3000s @wolfertinger666 @valtsv @paper-mario-wiki @nyancrimew @sporesgalaxy @90-ghost @komsomolka @prisonhannibal @apas-95 @neecheeneko-blog @afro-elf @vampiricvenus @turtletoria-art @beetledrinkisafuckingloser @bevsi @beserkerjewel @i-am-a-fish @i-am-a-fish @spacebeyonce @bonkcreat @11thsense @boomalope-pope

Ah, Maldonia. It's mentioned a few times in TPatF and despite Naveen literally being Maldonian, we know very little about it. Or do we? In this post I will summarise everything we know about Maldonia and I hope to, in follow -up posts, propose a location for it, as well as a cultural foundation for it, based on everything we currently know

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What Do We Actually Know

From the Movie:

-It's a "small yet golden kingdom in an obscure unheard of part of the globe" as stated in the newspaper we see. Also the same newspaper features a photo of Naveen on a background which perhaps could be Maldonian architecture

-Naveen "[comes] from two long lines of royalty" - Dr Facilier during Friends on the Other Side, it is unknown whether the union between the two lines created a brand new kingdom of Maldonia or Maldonia was a preexisting kingdom that became enlarged

-The (possibly simplified) royal crests for the two royal lines are as seen below, one with a teal wall with a red looking sky and perhaps red outlines of mountains, and the other with also a teal wall but with a grey sky and a grey outline of waves. Both as seen on Naveen’s first tarot card from Dr Facilier's reading

-The princes are named Naveen (a name common throughout all of India and its many languages) and Ralphie (a diminutive of Ralph which has a common usage in the Germanic languages)

-Naveen has a unique accent (in meta, a combination of his voice actor's natural Brazilian Portuguese accent with French), due to being a native speaker of Maldonian

-Naveen, in addition to Maldonian and English, also has a proficiency in French as seen in Ma Belle Evangeline

-"Across the sea" - Dr Facilier during Friends on the Other Side, so definitely not part of North America

-Here is a potential gross (not gross like ew gross) structure of the castle, also seen on Naveen’s first tarot card, this also potentially implies that Maldonia is on an island as it looks to be surrounded by water

-Lawrence, Naveen’s valet, is British

-Some Maldonian words eg Di Fraggi Pruto, a constructed language with strong surface level similarities to English and romance languages

-"East of the sun and west of the moon" as stated by one of the directors in the commentary, aka it could be anywhere

-Polished marble is part of the Maldonian castle's architecture

-In the Stop and Smell the Roses deleted scene, Naveen states that between 28 and 29 in Maldonia (referred to with its earlier name Maldakesh) there exist two numbers twenty-badini and twenty-caldonsez. However it is unknown whether this is actually true, still considered canon, or if Naveen was simply messing with Tiana

From the Books:

-In Tiana's Perfect Plan, a servant of Maldonia who aids Tiana is named Raha, which is an Arabic name

-In the Something Old, Something New, we see that the Queen's helpers are of various ethnicities

-In Tiana's Winter Blues, Naveen confirms that there isn't a cold winter season in Maldonia and we can see some Maldonian architecture in a photo

-" In Maldonia, we always left a little plate of cakesbout for Grandfather Frost" - Naveen in the Pocket Princesses comic In with the New

-In the Palace Pets story (yes, yes I am going to use Palace Pets) Bayou, the Little Pony Who Lovee to Rance, we can see what appears to be part of the Maldonian royal garden and hills of palm trees

From the Ride:

-In the Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride's queue, we can see a Maldonian cookbook Meals of Maldonia authored by someone called Nio/Nia/Nib Maldonado, a surname which seems very Portuguese/Spanish

-As confirmed by the ride's character model sheets, the Queen wears a sari and in other appearances such as the wii game she commonly wears a brooch

-The imagineering team refers to Maldonia as a "country of likely of mixed race"

From Miscellaneous Sources:

-According to Randy Haycock in an online interview, he looked at various South American, Mediterranean and Indian models to design Naveen’s appearance

-In the first and only concept art we publicly received from the now scrapped Disney+ Tiana series (rest in peace), in the reflections of the puddles on the ship that Tiana's on, we can see more of the aforementioned palm trees

...and that's all I've got!

So there's this one book called Disneystrology which is referenced on the Disney Wiki, and it basically assigns each day of the year to a Disney character. Down below, I listed everyone from TPaTF who is included in the book. As we have practically no idea when everyone's birthday is, I like to assume that maybe those days are their birthdays 🤷‍♀️ I'll also list the zodiac signs, birthstones and birth flowers for funsies <3

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Disneystrology?so=search

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mama Odie ~ 23rd January

~Zodiac sign: Aquarius

~Birthstone: Garnet

~Birth flower: Carnation, snowdrop

Louis ~ 22nd May

~Zodiac sign: Gemini

~Birthstone: Emerald

~Birth flower: Hawthorn, lily of the valley, lily

Naveen ~ 15th June

~Zodiac sign: Gemini

~Birthstone: Pearl, moonstone, alexandrite

~Birth flower: Rose, honeysuckle

Eudora ~ 30th June

~Zodiac sign: Cancer

~Birthstone: Pearl, moonstone, alexandrite

~Birth flower: Rose, honeysuckle

Charlotte ~ 11th July

~Zodiac sign: Cancer

~Birthstone: Ruby

~Birth flower: Waterlily, larkspur, delphinium

Big Daddy ~ 30th August

~Zodiac sign: Virgo

~Birthstone: Peridot, spinel, sardonyx

~Birth flower: Gladiolus, poppy

Ray ~ 24th September

~Zodiac sign: Libra

~Birthstone: Sapphire

~Birth flower: Morning glory, aster

James ~ 29th October

~Zodiac sign: Scorpio

~Birthstone: Opal, tourmaline

~Birth flower: Marigold, cosmos

Tiana ~ 25th December

~Zodiac sign: Capricorn

~Birthstone: Turquoise, zircon, tanzanite

~Birth flower: Holly, narcissus, poinsettia

I’m not the first person to say this, but I’ll say it again anyway—one of the things I loved about Coco was that the adults were adults. There’s a feeling of real, complex relationships, with all their ups and downs and in-betweens, especially for Héctor and Imelda. I originally liked the idea of Un Poco Loco being written for Coco, because the nonsensical answers seemed just right for a toddler playing with her papa. But after hearing the commentary about it being written for Imelda, I got hooked on that idea—that the person you love can make you a little bit crazy, and yet things persevere anyway.

This was originally supposed to be a lighthearted 3-page comic, but then my own experiences kicked in and it turned into something a little deeper about the trials of young parenthood, fledgling careers, and the sacrificial give-and-take of marriage.

Special thanks to @mygardenofmuses for proofreading the Spanish!

Un Poco Loco

5 pages

First page of the comic:

Hector (sitting by a window): What color would you say the sky is, mi amor?

Imelda: Blue.

Hector: No...not blue. Everyone says blue, but it seems so inadequate, doesn't it? It's never the same twice in one day. Surely there's something more poetic, more astonishing than just plain old blue...

Imelda (angrily): Dios mio. Red then.

Hector (surprised): Red?

Imelda (exasperated): Pink, yellow, green... Ay, Hector, I've barely slept for three days. This baby won't stop kicking.

(The image at this words shows her under the angle that makes clear she's pregnant)

Imelda: I can't think about poetry right now.

Hector: Si, si, I understand. I'll go write in the plaza. Give you some quiet.

Imelda:

(Scene shift - later. Hector and Ernesto are sitting together with guitars)

Ernesto: New tune, guey?

(Hector is humming with a pencil in his mouth)

Second page:

Scene shift - Hector and Imelda are sitting together on a bench in sunset lighting.

Imelda: Sighhh. I'm sorry, Hector.

Hector: It's okay.

Imelda: I don't mean to snap at you.

Hector: I know.

Imelda: You know I love your music, but sometimes...

Hector: I know.

Imelda: Sometimes you make me a little crazy.

Hector: Likewise, I'm sure.

Imelda: I'm sure.

(Both are smiling and cuddling, Hector suddenly has a realization and springs to his feet excitedly)

Hector: Be right back!

Imelda: What? Where are you-

Hector: Nothing, nowhere - I just need my... uh, thing. (Runs off)

Imelda: Do NOT put that in a song!

Hector (off screen in distance): Que cancion?

Third page:

Scene shift - several months later. Hector is running barefoot in a hurry, the background is a flood of his agitated thoughts hard to read.

Hector (running into the room, nervous, loudly): Where should I put my shoes?

(Baby Coco in Imelda's arms cries. )

Imelda: Hector, she had finally gone to sleep!

Hector: Lo siento!

Imelda (angrily advancing and pushing the baby into his arms): She's been up with colic all night and you can put your shoes on your head for all I care! (Storms off)

(Hector stares after her, than embraces Coco and sits down pensively)

Hector: Sshh, Coco. I've made your mama mad again, mija. I wish I hadn't left this last time. (Smiles wistfully) Ernesto says Santa Cecilia isn't a big enough stage for us, but I'm starting to think he's wrong. You're so big. ... On the bright side, I think I've found the rhyme I've been looking for. Shall I sing you what I have?

Fourth page:

Imelda is lying asleep, is awakened by a singing voice, gets up, approaches and sees Hector singing to Coco in his armchair.

Imelda: Sighhh.

Hector (notices her) : ...Hola.

Imelda: I fell asleep.

Hector: You needed it. Imelda, I'm sorry, I don't mean to leave you alone so much. Tomorrow I'm going to tell Nesto I need to stop touring...

Imelda: No. Even if we didn't need the money, you're just too good a musician to give it up. This is just a hard time for both of us.

Hector: A little crazy.

Imelda: Right. (Sitting down next to him) That was a pretty song you were singing.

Hector: You helped me write it.

Imelda: I did? When? No really, when?

(Hector smiles and kisses her)

Fifth page:

Scene shift - Hector and Ernesto sitting together.

Ernesto (reading Hector's songbook, confused): You know, sometimes your songs make no sense at all.

Hector (playing his guitar, smiling): You live the wrong kind of life to appreciate them, amigo.

End of the comic.

My family now lives in a tent with no stable shelter, my sister Jana has no school, and I have no steady job. My brother Kamal carries the burden of the entire family, working every day to secure just enough food, while I search for any work, no matter how difficult or dangerous, just to survive.

My mother, the beautiful dream we once cherished, wished for a calm and happy life for us, but the war tore us apart and shattered our hopes. As for Jana, my innocent sister, she lost her school, her books, and even her sense of hope, yet she still writes her dreams on small pieces of paper, hiding them in her torn clothes so they won’t get lost like everything else.

We are not asking for the impossible, only what keeps us alive with dignity and gives us a chance to rebuild our lives. Every donation, no matter how small, means so much to us. Your support will give us hope to keep going and try again. 🙏❤️