Ralph’s Comment:

Look out world; there are others things to worry about besides the slow labor market. An ABC News study has found that applicant's black sounding name can hurt his career. Can this be a factor in the fact that unemployment is much higher for African Americans than for any other major ethnic group. (Which in itself creates a nasty loop: since non are working, non are hiring.) The study rounded up six graduate students with black names and changed their names. People that were getting no calls were startled to when their phones suddenly started ringing... and ringing...

The Name Game
Can a Black-Sounding Name Hurt Your Career Prospects?

It's the first major decision new parents face, and their choice will stick with their child for a lifetime: what to name the baby. And today simple is out and variety is in, especially for many black Americans.

Watch 20/20's full report tonight at 10 p.m.

Many African-American parents say they're returning to their roots by choosing names that sound uniquely black. For some a unique name has been an asset. For stars like Oprah Winfrey or Shaquille O'Neal or Denzel Washington, a distinctive first name can become a unique, identifiable brand, almost a trademark. But some ordinary folks say being different is just too difficult. ..

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