Names are a window into who we are. They carry stories about where we come from, our life experiences, and who we are becoming. For many of us, Especially Africans, names hold cultural, spiritual, and historical weight. And sometimes, we’re made to wrestle with them. Do we shorten them to be understood? Modify them to belong? Hold onto them in resistance? Change them to affirm who we are? However they show up, our names remain the first stories we tell about ourselves. So, let's tell the stories.
In this debut episode, host Mofi B introduces hello, my name is—a storytelling podcast about names, naming, and the layered ways they shape identity. Mofi B shares the origins of the podcast and her personal connection to naming as a Queer Nigerian-Canadian woman who has navigated multiple names across continents and identities. This episode unpacks why names matter—not just linguistically, but culturally, politically, and emotionally. You'll hear about Mofi's own journey from Mofiyinfoluwa to Fiyin to Mofi, and how watching others rename, reclaim, and resist through naming sparked the questions that drive this project:
- What does a name mean to the person carrying it?
- How does it hold history, memory and legacy?
- What stories do our names tell about how we belong—or don’t?
- How do we shift depending on which name we're called? and so much more.
You'll also hear about what you can expect from season 1 and why naming, especially in African and diasporic contexts, is both personal and collective. Mofi shares her vision for this podcast as a space of reflection, connection, and archival storytelling.
Through intimate conversations, personal reflection, research, and community insight, HMNI unpacks how names shape self-discovery, identity formation, and legacy. I am very thrilled to have you join me on this journey.
Follow us on social media @hellomynameispod and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hello, my name is Mofi B, and you’re listening to hello, my name is. I’m so glad you’re here.
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