Poorna Bell has faced decades of confusion, racism and unconscious bias around her 'difficult' name. Here, she explains why this is categorically not OK.

Name discrimination: stop telling people their name is difficult

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People with a white-sounding name are 74% more likely to get a call for a job interview versus those with an ethnic-sounding name

People of colour generally – and rightly – resent the mispronunciation of their name because it amounts to a distortion of their identity

It’s a name that erases your identity and simultaneously wallpapers over a culture that just isn’t yours

But I embrace those who are open and honest and say ‘Hold on, it will take me a while, but I promise I will get it right’

Poorna Bell has faced decades of confusion, racism and unconscious bias around her 'difficult' name – and it's not OK.

Name discrimination: why we need to stop telling people they have a ‘difficult’ name