Emphasis Preaching Journal

Near the beginning of his book, Roots, Alex Haley describes the special event of naming a child on the eighth day.

Omoro (the father) then walked out before all of the assembled people of the village. Moving to his wife's side, he lifted up the infant and, as all watched, whispered three times into his son's ear the name he had chosen for him. It was the first time the name had ever been spoken as this child's name, for Omoro's people felt that each human being should be the first to know who he was.