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Mom says she will change daughter's 'racist' name after she is bullied for it
A Tennessee mom has gone viral after revealing she let her daughter legally change her name due to relentless school bullying and claims the name had racist undertones.
35-year-old Danielle Remp took to TikTok to explain how her 16-year-old daughter, formerly named Dixie, faced cruel taunts from classmates who mocked the name and linked it to the Civil War-era South. Danielle didn’t hesitate when her daughter asked to switch names.
“She gets made fun of for it… I said yes, no questions asked!” Danielle said in her video.
The teen, who now goes by Skye, was reportedly called names like “Dixie Dust” and “Dixie Normous” by other students between classes. The bullying became so constant that she no longer felt like the name represented her.
Daughter’s emotional explanation and mom’s unwavering support
Speaking to Today.com, Skye shared just how bad things got. “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.”
She added that while her dad chose the name Dixie when she was born, her mom originally wanted to name her Skye. “Her choice feels more ‘like me,’” she said.
Danielle, who works at Burger King, is now saving up the $200 needed to complete the legal name change. She stands firmly behind her daughter’s decision. “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?”
Internet reacts with praise and criticism
The TikTok post has sparked a mix of reactions online. One critic wrote: “What no. Teach your child resilience. If you let her change her name, what else will she want to change about herself?”
Others, however, applauded the move. “Everyone should get one free name change,” one user commented. Another added: “As someone who was horrendously bullied for their birth name growing up and changed it as an adult, thank you.”
Another commenter who shares the same original name said: “I got bullied but now I love my name.”
The name Dixie has come under scrutiny in recent years due to its ties to the Confederacy. The song “Dixie’s Land” became an unofficial anthem of the South in the 1800s, and the word has since been associated with the region’s racist history. In 2020, the band The Dixie Chicks famously dropped “Dixie” from their name, rebranding as The Chicks.
Danielle captioned her viral video with: “I’ll always stand by her side no matter what 💙 #standbyyourkid #doitforthem #foryou #fyp #stopbullying.”