Abiodun’s inspiring and self-affirming TEDx talk encourages all of us to rethink names – ours, and others – and consider reverting from easy non-chosen nicknames back to original ethnic names. Born and raised in Lagos Nigeria and later migrating to the United States at an earlier age, Abiodun Durojaye understands the systemic barriers within the U.S. that impact people with ethnic and black-sounding names. Abiodun spent decades under the alias of “Abbey” to fit in the spaces that she wanted desperately to be a part of. She recently took back her name and is on a journey to educate on the significance of one’s name and cultural identity. As Executive Director of Urban Alliance Chicago, Dr. Abiodun Durojaye continues her career of empowering people, particularly low-income, first-generation, and marginalized young people, to break down barriers and take a seat at the table. Abiodun has lived and dedicated her career to paving the way for young people of color in the world of work. She has formed instrumental relationships that create meaningful impacts in the lives of young people. Her mission is to expose and break down systemic barriers that young people of color face and the role of society in creating meaningful change. Abiodun is so committed to this work that her dissertation focused on ethnic and black-sounding names and how and why using those names can validate people in the space of work. Abiodun is the recipient of the “Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Award for College Career Development Professional of the Year” award for her unique ways of creating access to internship and work opportunities for students. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx