Given that Americans spend a combined 184 million hours each year* saying “frican-American” (the part of “African-American” that comes after the first syllable), and given that that construction leaves absolutely no way to describe, for instance, black Americans from Jamaica, or to distinguish between white and black South Africans, I have to ask… is there actually anyone on the dope who finds the term “black” offensive? Or who even knows anyone who does?
(I remember this being discussed before in a theoretical sense, but I don’t remember personal feedback.)
I took an informal poll of nine Black neighbors and coworkers awhile back. 100% of respondents reported that the term “African-American” gives them a little chuckle, and that they have never referred to themselves as anything other than “Black”.
I grew up in a town that was roughly half black and then lived in New Orleans which is about 2/3rds black. I never heard any black person ask to be called African-American and I never heard any call themselves black.
Like the OP, I suspect that we are all paying great attention to a construct that hardly anyone actually wants although I am certain I have heard some college professors demand it. Want does Jesse Jackson desire? Isn’t that what really matters?
Well, I’m African American, and it doesn’t bother me to be called Black. In fact, if you just met me it would be more accurate. You’d have to ask me if was born here to ascertain whether I was African American or not. I was born in the 70s so Black has a retro cool thing to me which I’m quite comfortable with. Makes me think of James Brown, Arthur Ashe, and Barbara Jordan.
My mother is a Black American (naturalized) from Jamaica. She describes herself as Black, but African American also is correct, though not quite as descriptive. I think if you came up to her and asked her “what are you?” she’d say Jamaican… well, because you would have to be blind to not see she is Black!
All the Africans I know identify by their nationality, not continent. Ghanian, or South African, or Kenyan… not “African.” I have a friend who is South African and identifies as colored in that context.
I have to admit that the premise of the OP bugs me a bit. Has anyone actually said to you that they were offended by you using the world Black? Not “I would prefer to be called African American,” but actually offended? Is it really a hassle to refer to people who would like to be called African American by that nomenclature? Do you see how it’s disrespectful to call someone by a name or term they prefer not to be called? If someone says, “Please call me African American,” and you decide that you’re going to call them Black, do you see how that’s problematic?
On the other hand, someone who gets pissy if you don’t refer to them as a descendant of the Fulani is a bit of a nutter. But again, I think this is a caricature that exists in the minds of some White folks. I know a lot of Black folks - family, friends, and co-workers - and I can’t think of one that would get bent out of shape if you described them as Black or African American. (Some of my friends/family members from other countries would prefer not to be called African American, but as a descriptive term they wouldn’t be bent out of shape.
Seriously, in 2007, I think if you use African American or Black when describing phenotypically dark-skinned people of African descent in the US, you’re doing fine.
I call European Americans White, European American, or Anglo - usually White. Now if a White friend says he/she wants to be called Scottish, or Jewish, I’ll do that - no biggie. But if I’m describing someone who looks like John McCain, for example, I’m gonna say White. Until White folks tell me different.
IANAAA, WAG, etc.: I think it’s one of those things that are expected in a professional context. First analogous example off the top of my head: we don’t use “morbidly obese” in everyday language, but we’d expect a doctor to use that kind of professional language. A doctor saying “you’re really, really fat”, even if it is perfectly acceptable in an informal context, would be perceived as somewhat insulting, and rightly so–we have different expectations of mannerisms of our authority and semi-authority figures than of our peers. I can’t imagine taking seriously a professor going “black guy” this and “black dude” that.
I’ve never heard anyone express displeasure at the use of black in place of African American. (Of course, all the folks I know tend to be geezers, as I am, and they probably changed their usage from Negro to black while they were in junior high, high school, or college–at the time of the “Black is Beautiful” movement.)
If a person with predominantly African ancestry asked that I refer to them as African American, I would do so, but it does not seem to be an issue that really comes up a lot. Generally, they have preferred to be called Betty or Julius or Carol or George.
The only people I’ve known who were offended by the term “black” used to describe the skin color of human beings were white. Or light brown or pink, if you prefer.
There was that one lady in a bus in Miami who berated two girls for saying negro (pronounced nEgro, not “nigro”) and once she left, the two beffudled, non-English-speaking girls wondered what was so offensive about their talk of black dresses. There was that one Italian who admonished someone for referring to a consultant as “nero”; the SouthAfrica-born, German-citizen consultant had never been to the US of A for more than two weeks at a time…
Just one little nitpick (and you did nothing wrong, BTW): “Jewish” (or “Jew”) is most definitely not synonymous with “white” (or “European,” for that matter). At least that’s what I (Black and Jewish)–along with all of the other Black, Asian, and Hispanic Jews and White Jewish allies that I know–keep trying to tell people in this country.
Oh, and just in case anyone wants to tell me that, for “X” number of White Jews, “Jewish” is an ethnic and/or cultural designation: I get that, and I don’t seek to dispute it, but the fact that it’s also an ethnic and/or cultural designation doesn’t invalidate the point that I was trying to make.
White here, but I’d like to add a bit of a question to the OP. I’ve never had anyone (family, friend or co-worker) state a preference either way. Just wondering if any of the black/African American Dopers would actually tell someone they prefer one descriptor over another. Thanks.
FYI: Coloreds in S. Africa typically refer to Malays, Indians, etc while Black is used for native Africans. (I worked for a S. African bank for 6 years and this is what I observed and was told)
As per your second point above, I’d say it leans towards whites saying this amongst themselves more than anyone else. i.e. whites will say “She is African-American” to each other thinking they are being more correct and proper and egalitarian and definitely not racist because look how they used the proper term, doncha know? It’s rampant PC bullshit as bred on most college campuses of the 90’s. We actually had someone in an audience (white) correct the speaker “The proper term is African-American.” to be followed up immediately by another person in the audience (black) say “No, actually, call me black please.”
But my favorite example of the mis-use of the term was here when a Czech friend kept refering to someone as African-American and I was confused about who she was talking about (there are only so many that fit that bill here, and I know most of them). I finally figured out who she was talking about and said “Dude, he’s from Ghana, not America! He’s an African-African.” She was applying the term to ALL blacks all around the world.
That’s if you can get them to acknowledge what she looks like at all. I’ve seen a few white people bend over backward to avoid saying that somebody is black, even if that’s the easiest way to identify the person they are talking about.
I remember over a decade ago in college in a cultural studies class a black woman who came in to talk dressed in African garb who suggested that the black guys in class not refer to themselves as “black” or “african-american” but as a “tribal men”. She said quote “If someone asks you your race, say ‘I’m a tribal man’.”
Needless to say I think the black and white students shared a bonding moment when they both agreed the lady was nuts.
