Now their great-grandson is a BBC presenter who announced on Thursday The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Against a background of rising anti-Semitism in Britain and across Europe, these second-generation immigrants changed their Jewish name to the most inconspicuously English one they could have found: Bland. I want that to be more clear.". Google+. But every now and then there was a cultural disconnect. Home > news > Ben Boulous: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland ’ Ben Boulous: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland’ February 19, 2021 news. ‘As a child I would downplay all of that, trying to “fit in” and not wanting to seem in any way “different”. 00:23:43 - How does the name you're addressed by affect your sense of place in the world? he would be known as Ben Boulos Have you ever thought of changing your name? But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. 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He continued: ‘Every name tells a story – and I want mine to give a more complete picture of who I am. View the profiles of people named Ben Bland. AlexAlbert-February 19, 2021. IEEE, +9 more. In discussing it with my father, to make sure he would not be offended or upset by it, he reminded me that “Bland” itself was a chosen name. 43. And many had a similar story to his great-grandparents on his father's side, where they had in the past swapped a Jewish name for an Anglicised one "for reasons of survival" as Ben puts it. ‘In the 1920s, his paternal grandmother (my great-grandmother) decided – and convinced my great-grandfather – that with violent anti-Semitism on the rise across Europe, it would be wise for them to change the family name of “Blumenthal” with its overtly Jewish-Germanic links. Chair, IEEE P7014 Standards Working Group for Empathic Tech Ethics at IEEE. ", With the blessing of his family, he EastEnders actor 'faces deportation' to Jamaica despite only having visited twice, Ian Wright recalls painful moment mum told him she wished she’d had termination. congratulated his former namesake on his new identity British broadcast journalist, Ben Bland has not revealed his … Automated News Feed Subreddit No Censorship, Just News. Their parents had already left behind family roots in Lithuania and Russia to live in Britain. 91 talking about this. ‘I have wondered whether changing from the name “Bland” is somehow disloyal to the memory of my great-grandmother’s wise decision, without which I may not be here. Nationality : British: Other names: Ben Boulos: Occupation: Newsreader, journalist, television presenter: Notable credit(s) BBC World News World News Today Business Live Talking Business The Briefing Business Briefing World Business Report Newsday Outside Source GMT BBC News The Papers: … Nigeria. 11.2k members in the AutoNewspaper community. But he says he wanted a name that gives "a more complete picture of who I am and the influences on my life". : "Same Ben. The name helped his family escape prejudice. Save Pin to Wall. Facebook. Twitter. #DayNewsFeed #UK #UKNews The name helped his family escape prejudice. Following the earlier concerns of 'Big Ben' Caunt's descendants, I've now been given a guarantee that the name change won't apply to Big Ben. Same Ben. But times change, thankfully for the better. Source link "I didn't realise quite how many people had gone through the same thought processes about their name, what it says about their identity, and how many people thought about changing it," says Ben. People didn't understand when they learned that his family celebrated Christmas or Easter on a different day, in line with their Coptic Christian faith. The name helped his family escape prejudice. Facebook. I always felt it would be a very odd thing to go around saying the whole time.". Pinterest. The name Bland had achieved exactly what his great-grandparents needed at the time - to "mask any kind of difference", Ben says. One of the well known broadcast British journalist, Ben Bland is currently serving for the BBC World News service as a news presenter and correspondent.In addition, he has worked for several stations including BBC Breakfast (shown domestically in the UK),Outside Source, World News Today and few domestic UK reports for BBC News. 0. . Others had lost a name from their culture through marriage. WhatsApp. Email Ben Boulos: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland’ Posted by BistoshWorld | Feb 19, 2021 | BBC | 0 | At work in the BBC, Ben says colleagues would sometimes be taken aback by his language skills. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. British and Irish Lions 2021: Who could be the bolters to tour South Africa? Have you changed your name? But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. Ben Boulos: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland’ February 19, 2021. But he feels that his decision reflects "a recognition that the world has completely changed", where he can speak openly and proudly of both his Jewish and his Sudanese-Egyptian heritage - and they no longer need the name Bland for survival. Share. It was a name chosen for that reason at that time and it served its purpose well. But he said: "I'm a bit concerned that my abuse-meter will rise now.". 19 Feb 2021 13:47, Headline News. The change follows through on … Source link . I still speak and understand Arabic conversationally, although I have never learned to read and write the language (it remains an ambition to be tackled sometime). Many of the values I try to live by are deeply rooted in both that faith and culture. BBC journalist Ben Bland has changed his surname to Boulos to celebrate his heritage. Jun 16, 2019 - Explore Glen young's board "Ben Bland" on Pinterest. Please let us know if you agree to all of these cookies. Delivered marketing campaigns for big clients such as Capgemini, Coventry University and the BBC. The name helped his family escape prejudice. Developed new capabilities in online monitoring, measurement, PR and crisis management. May 3, 2021 | min read. In his explanation of the name change, the BBC presenter mentioned that he'd been receiving social media messages meant for the other Ben Bland, "some pleasant, some hostile". You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the "Who knows if they hadn't taken that decision whether the family would have survived and whether I'd even be here?" Ben Boulos: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland’ BBC News; Feb 19, 2021; 117 Views; The name helped his family escape prejudice. He says he received an "overwhelming and overwhelmingly positive" reaction - much of it from people with similarly mixed heritage who have wrestled with questions of identity. Since the b… ‘We can now increasingly celebrate the difference and diversity in our backgrounds rather than having to hide them. Ben Bland | Medium, BBC, The Guardian Journalist | Muck Rack "But it doesn't give the complete picture about who I am, the background that shaped my identity and my beliefs and my perspective on the world. ‘It feels a significant time to do it, because of a similar decision made around a century ago – adding an historic symmetry to all this. "That's why with the name Bland, it's fine that people have assumed up until now that I'm just as Anglicised and as British as they come. One person who has mixed feelings about the change is journalism's other Ben Bland, a former Financial Times reporter who is now a south-east Asia expert for a think tank. But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. Twitter. . But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. Facebook. The descendants of a champion boxer raise concerns over a name change to Big Ben, Parliament's most famous landmark. Less Bland.". Pinterest. Ben asks. I like to think she would feel happy about that and see my decision as being driven, much like hers, by pragmatism in response to shifting attitudes – instead of feeling bound by sentimental obligation to a sequence of letters chosen a century ago.’, Followers congratulated Boulous on his name change, while his name buddy Benjamin Bland tweeted: ‘Congrats on the new name Ben. As a boy at school, Ben says he was driven to fit in. Contact. Uncle Ben's Rice will change its name to Ben's Original and remove the image of a smiling, grey-haired black man from its packaging. View the profiles of professionals named "Benjamin Bland" on LinkedIn. I really feel there is a lot to be thankful to this country for," he says. Source link . The clock, faithfully telling the time for more than a century, high above the UK’s houses of parliament, has become one of the most iconic images of London and England more general (up there with the Spice Girls, I’d say). Ben Boulos says taking his Sudanese-Egyptian family's name gives "a more complete picture of who I am", Ben's grandfather, Richard, was part of the first generation to grow up with the name Bland, Ben as a child with his father, Tim, and mother, Therese, congratulated his former namesake on his new identity. ‘That prompted me to think about my name and whether I should change it – for clarity and to avoid confusion.’. Copyright © 2021 BBC. He wrote: ‘Changing my name is something I have thought about before, on-and-off, for another reason: my name hides aspects of my identity that are important to me but not immediately obvious to others. . But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. On one occasion the two Ben Blands appeared simultaneously on the BBC. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname ‘Bland’ made people fairly assume he is ‘as British as they come’, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. Ben Bland. Ben Bland. They decided on the blandest name possible – literally – to ensure their survival. All these questions came to a head for Ben in lockdown, when the enforced isolation gave him time to weigh up his desire to better reflect his identity and the potential upheaval to his career and family. Ben sees a parallel between the two strands of his family which both converged on Britain as a safer place - his Sudanese-Egyptian family having become increasingly concerned about life in Khartoum during the 1970s and 1980s for the Christian minority. What were your reasons for doing so? But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. His home life was a bustling hubbub of traditional Sudanese-Egyptian food and conversation in Arabic and English - far from bland. The name helped his family escape prejudice. ‘I was brought up in the Coptic Orthodox faith – one of the oldest Christian denominations in the world – and that link to my heritage continues to this day when I attend services that are conducted in a combination of English, Arabic and Coptic. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Born: Benjamin Mark Bland 13 August 1984 (age 36) Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, England. https://marrieddivorce.com/tv-celebrity/ben-bland-age-gay-family.html Previous article How to Watch Live … 0 0. 0. BBC News 48287 Posts Share. "Thinking about your name and your identity is the kind of thing you put off because life is too busy, it's never a good time, everyone else is busy. In the early 1920s, Mark and Mary Blumenthal started a new life. A list of BBC episodes and clips related to "Name change". BBC website Ben Boulos: 'Why I changed my name from Bland' - The name helped his family escape prejudice. "Now it feels like having a name that reflects the heritage on my mum's side of the family is not just for people who can see and decipher little clues, it's like the mask has come off and it's out there for everyone to see.". On his website, he wrote: ‘In recent months, I have received quite a few messages on social media – some pleasant, some hostile – intended for another journalist with exactly the same name as mine: Ben Bland. Source: Ben Boulos: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland ’ Share. Am a bit concerned that my abuse meter will rise now though.’. EastEnders spoilers: Bailey kidnapped by a stranger in dark scenes? The journalist has explained that he will now use the name Ben Boulos in his professional and daily life, and has changed his name across his social media accounts. HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Join Facebook to connect with Ben Bland and others you may know. announced the change on Twitter There are 40+ professionals named "Benjamin Bland", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. The BBC news presenter Ben Bland announced that he's now called Ben Boulos | Listen Notes Ben Bland - the south-east Asia expert - He explains why reflecting on his identity over lockdown has led to him changing it again. As an adult, I feel proud of it and want to celebrate and highlight a part of my background that has such a big influence in shaping who I am.’. Ben Bland is a presenter / anchor on BBC World News & BBC News. BBC World News journalist Ben Bland has been named the host of BBC and Quibi’s “Around the World,” TheWrap has learned exclusively WhatsApp. WhatsApp . Visit site. Boulous is a regular presenter on BBC World News, BBC One and the BBC News channel, and has also appeared on BBC Breakfast. Pinterest. to submit your question or comment or you can email us at Read about our approach to external linking. For as long as any of us can remember, it’s been called Big Ben. He worried, however, that his decision might be seen as disloyal to his great-grandmother's memory, her foresight in seeing Europe's shift to violent anti-Semitism and taking steps to protect her family. But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. Sorry, this Twitter post is currently unavailable. But for the BBC’s Ben Boulos, it is time for a change.. Read at Source . Less Bland.https://t.co/CJQKtCK21t pic.twitter.com/nNphKNgdQz. The name helped his family escape prejudice. There was never any intention of messing with the name. Belfast Metropolitan Area. His decision was sparked by constant confusion between him and a former Financial Times journalist in Australia called Benjamin Bland, with Boulos often receiving messages intended for the other Mr Bland. Google+. Some of the people who contacted him had multiple cultures in their background but Anglicised names that concealed their family history. Ben will now go by the surname Boulos (Picture: BBC) BBC journalist Ben Bland has changed his surname to Boulos to celebrate his heritage. We do not look too dissimilar, we both cover global news, we are of a similar age, and both studied at Cambridge University at the same time. The name helped his family escape prejudice. Uncle Ben's Rice will change its name to Ben's Original and remove the image of a smiling, grey-haired black man from its packaging. The name helped his family escape prejudice. The BBC's Ben Boulos comes from a family with mixed heritage who changed their name to avoid prejudice and persecution. Changing the name. His accent and appearance meant most people took him to be as white and British as they come. ‘My mother’s side of the family is Sudanese-Egyptian and I grew up speaking fluent Arabic alongside English, even though I was born in the UK. But for the BBC's Ben Boulos, it is time for a change. Benjamin Mark Bland (born 13 August 1984 in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire), known professionally as Ben Boulos, is a British presenter and journalist for the BBC News, specialising in business for UK and global audiences on programs including Business Live, Talking Business and World Business Report, as well as being one of the main relief presenters for BBC World News, BBC News Channel and BBC World Servicewhich operates globally to an estimated weekly audience of over 75 million viewers. … "Every time I would go through the process of explaining and people would say, 'I had no idea, why have you never said?' news. We are entirely unrelated but it is a recipe for confusion. However, Boulos admitted that there was more to his decision than confusion with another journalist. Instrumental in finding and winning new clients and products. Tags. Ben says he is as proud of his Jewish heritage as of his Sudanese-Egyptian background and considered reverting to the name Blumenthal. Ben Boulos: ‘Why I changed my name from Bland’ By. See more ideas about bland, bbc presenters, counter sales. At work in the BBC, Ben says colleagues would sometimes be taken aback by his language skills. 10 Danube Close, Off Danube Street, Off Ibrahim Babangida Boulevard, Maitama, Abuja FCT. haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk TAGS; Fashion; Senegal; Social distance; Share. When is the right time to strike up a conversation with your parents about your idea of changing your surname? 17. Boulos reflects the identity that has played the bigger role in shaping him, and the Coptic Christian faith he continues to practice. It is an easy mistake to make. Twitter. 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