About Us

On yet another first day of school, I stepped into the classroom, a hint of nervousness tingling in my stomach. A familiar feeling. As the teacher did roll call, "John," "Michael," "Sarah" and the likes echoed through the room. But when it came time for my name to be called, there was a moment of hesitation. The teacher's tongue stumbled and eyebrows furrowed, as the classmates exchanged looks. I dreaded this part. “Keturah” I said uneasily. On cue, the teacher replied “that’s different”.

Throughout my life, I faced countless mispronunciations, creative interpretations, and even snide comments about the difficulty of my name. Instead of finding strength in the distinctiveness of it, I longed for a name that fit within the boundaries of "normal.” But in the unprecedented year of 2020, I thought of a way to embrace my name as a symbol of identity. Alas, le TonShé was birthed.

A derivative of my middle name, TonSha, le TonShé amplifies the beauty of unique names and anything else that sets us apart. Our names carry stories, histories and identities that deserve to be celebrated. Since I didn’t get to experience the joy of seeing my name on souvenir items or Coca Cola bottles, I decided to put my own name (and others) on a candle that hopefully will spark joy for somebody when stumbled upon in a store one day.

My wish is for le TonShé to inspire individuals with unconventional names to own their identity and distinctiveness. No more shrinking ourselves to make it convenient for others. No, I do not have a nickname. No, you cannot call me (blank) for short. No, I do not care that it's "hard" to pronounce. I’m speaking to myself as much as I am to you when I say “it’s time to embrace your individuality and own yourself!”

Founder,

Keturah TonSha Givens