A mother has permitted her teenage daughter to alter her “racist” name following bullying incidents at school.
Danielle Remp, 35, shared on TikTok that she approved the name change after her daughter revealed she was being bullied and accused of supporting the Confederacy by schoolmates.
The Confederate States of America, formed in 1861 by 11 southern states, fought against the US (the Union) in the American Civil War and was defeated in 1865.
In a video posted on her social media, Danielle, who resides in Tennessee, stated that her daughter faced ridicule for her name. She said, “I said yes, no questions asked!”
In the video’s caption, Danielle emphasized her support for her daughter, writing: “I’ll always stand by her side no matter what.”
Danielle, who works at Burger King, discovered that her daughter was being bullied because of the name she was given at birth.
Originally named ‘Dixie’, the 16-year-old has now opted for the name Skye, which her mother mentioned in a TikTok comment was “the name I actually wanted to name her.”
The name ‘Dixie’ is historically linked to the Confederacy during the US Civil War, which sought to secede from the Union in an effort to maintain slavery in 11 Southern states.
‘Dixieland’ is also a slang term sometimes associated with the Confederacy.
Skye told Today.com, “They call me things like ‘Dixie Dust’, or ‘Dixie Normous’. They just give it all sorts of crude meanings, and they’ll call me that in the hallway.”
Danielle is currently saving up the $200 needed for the administrative fee to legally change her daughter’s name.
Danielle expressed her support, saying, “She’s a good kid. She’s doing great in school, she doesn’t give me trouble. So if changing her name makes her feel better about herself, why would I say no?”
Online reactions to Danielle’s decision have been mixed, with some people disagreeing with her choice.
One person commented, “What no. Teach your child resilience. If you let her change her name, what else will she want to change about herself?” while another said, “I’m Dixie! I got bullied but now I love my name.”
However, others praised Danielle for supporting her daughter. One individual wrote, “As someone who was horrendously bullied for their birth name growing up and changed it as an adult, thank you.”
Another person suggested that “everyone should get one free name change.”
Danielle Remp has been contacted for further comments.