It was a nice sunny day in 2018. My boyfriend and I are sitting on the porch conversing back and forth on whether should our baby have one or the other's last name. I was in my 4th month carrying our baby girl. “Have you decided on the name?” I asked. “I was thinking a Bernice, Bernie said. “Bernice? Na aah. I was thinking more like a Kiara, a name that rhymes with my name," I said. “Kiara sounds cool. Kiara and Ciara. What about the last name?” He asked. “Kiara Webb. “I really want her to have my last name,” he stated. “Why? We not married, I said. “ You don't gotta be married to have the father's last name on the birth certificate. My father put me in his last name before him and my mama even got married. I learned it's always good to have the father's last name to honor, he stated. “I don't understand, I said. “Just say, if this was to happen to us, if we decided to break up, and we go court, and you decided to put me on Child's Support. The first thing they go ask for is the birth certificate, and you show it to them, and you don't have my last name on it. You have Kiara Webb instead of Kiara Powell. The judge would ask you who is the father?” He stated. “That's when I would say yo name," I said. “Yeah but you don't got proof that I'm the father, he said. “whatchu talking about I need proof, I don't gotta show them proof," I said firmly. “Yeah you do, that's how the system works. They go ask you why the father's name not on the birth certificate. So it is best to put my name on it. I know most women, especially black women, don't put their baby's father's last name on the birth certificate," he stated. “That's true. But I don't want that to happen though, I said. “That was just an example. I just wanna get recognized as a father. A lot of black fathers don't get recognized. It's a woman's world now. I'm just saying fathers take pride in having their child with their last name on the birth certificate, you get me?" He asked. “I understand, I agree on that. Yo name should be on their. Fathers should get recognized just like the women do," I said.
#birthcertificate #birth #baby #child #honor #certificate #father
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