Joined: 30 Mar 2005 {Posts: 1057 } Location: New Jersey
Posted: Thu 18 May 2006 20:16 Post subject: Preferred terms for Black Americans...
I recently had a discussion with a friend about the various terms used to refer to Americans who designate themselves as Black. My friend's beef is that the term of choice keeps changing, and he feels this endless changing is an attempt to "trip up" a "White" person, causing him to use an outdated, now derogatory term. I don't believe that's the reason, but I do wonder why the term of choice changes so much.
At one time, colored person apparently was accpeted. Some old-timers I know still use this term non-disparagingly. But it is considered offensive. Yet, the term person of color, which essentially says the same thing as colored person, is perfectly acceptable, and indeed is preferred. Negro was once the term of choice, but now is unacceptable except in organizations such as United Negro College Fund.Afro-American seems now to be considered offensive, even though it essentially says the same thing as the for now acceptable African American. Black seems to be the only term not affected by this constant downgrading of terms to the offensive status. Why does this happen?
Joined: 28 Apr 2006 {Posts: 282 } Location: 51st State
Posted: Sun 21 May 2006 10:48 Post subject: Re: Preferred terms for Black Americans...
William wrote:
I recently had a discussion with a friend about the various terms used to refer to Americans who designate themselves as Black. My friend's beef is that the term of choice keeps changing, and he feels this endless changing is an attempt to "trip up" a "White" person, causing him to use an outdated, now derogatory term. I don't believe that's the reason, but I do wonder why the term of choice changes so much.
At one time, colored person apparently was accpeted. Some old-timers I know still use this term non-disparagingly. But it is considered offensive. Yet, the term person of color, which essentially says the same thing as colored person, is perfectly acceptable, and indeed is preferred. Negro was once the term of choice, but now is unacceptable except in organizations such as United Negro College Fund.Afro-American seems now to be considered offensive, even though it essentially says the same thing as the for now acceptable African American. Black seems to be the only term not affected by this constant downgrading of terms to the offensive status. Why does this happen?
Any comments?
Good question. I suspect Americans of all hues, will be 'tripped up' the names until they all just equally treated humans. Even black, in some quarters, has its detractors among those so called. Words reflect reality and sometimes shape reality, and the reality of the word "black" in terms of people, describes, one the one hand, a skin color, and on the other a term of political consciousnes; an umbrella term for those against the dominant worldview. Names like Asian, or Australian reflect land masses, and speak of a peoples locational heritage. So African-American introduces a history into the description of those so called.
From the time of the first census in 1790 to the latest in 2000, the children of enslaved Africans in America have gone by many names as they strive to conform with the rules of U.S society, but however they name themselves the 'Du Bois dilemna' rears its head, rubbing against a legacy of discrimination. Activists of various causes have the idea that a change of name on the census, or to identity among themselves or to others, will somehow dissolve the power of the painful social interactions they must negotiate. History shows otherwise.
Not sure about its offensivenes but there was a celebrated user of Afro-American.
"It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro-American who lies before us, unconquered still. I say the word again, as he would want me to: Afro-American. Afro-American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over the minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a 'Negro' years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro-American and he wanted so desperately that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans, too."
'
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