Ashanti’s name was inspired by the Ashanti people of Ghana, and it means “woman of strength.” But when Ashanti was a little girl, her classmates didn’t understand the significance. They just thought it was weird.
She says, quote, “I didn’t get bullied and beat up, but it was always maybe a little giggle, maybe a little, ‘Well, why is your name like that?'”
So Ashanti wrote a book called “My Name Is a Story“, to help other kids with “unique” names.
She says, quote, “I want kids to feel like, ‘Wow, I’m so lucky that I get to have something different that no one else has. My name is unique, and my name has a meaning.'”