Negro was the polite term through the middle of the twentieth century. It was chosen (probably by white editors, but I am not sure of that) as a method to avoid the Jim Crow term “colored.” (Why black was not originally chosen as the polite term, I am, again, not certain. Perhaps the intent was to use a “scientific” term so as to avoid any cultural stigma. However, Caucasian never caught on among any large group of speakers or writers.)
In the late 1960’s, the discussion arose within the black community regarding the term Negro. The objections to it were that it had been imposed by people (white editors) outside the group and that, since no one used Caucasian (and Mongoloid had been co-opted for another use, so it was never used), Negro stood out as an anomaly. This was the period when Afro-American made its brief appearance, but black, as the obvious counterpoint to white, and influenced by the “Black is Beautiful” phenomenon, eventually won out among the people who would be affected by the name.
A year or so after Jesse Jackson introduced African American, I saw a poll indicating that black was preferred over African American in that community by something like 57% to 41%. Recently I saw a similar poll in which black was now the preferred term by 61% of people who would use it self-referentially.
I think that Rev. Jackson saw an issue that he attempted to address, but he failed to notice that his experiences in Chicago do not translate to much of the rest of the country. Of course, when the large media outlets decided to defer to his preferences, they ignored the fact that unlike black–that was chosen in debate within the community–African American was imposed by one (not elected) leader. Now we have news outlets using the term that people don’t even prefer and we have people accusing blacks of “silly PC” when blacks (as a group) did not even choose it.
Again: I think Jackson had good intentions; I just think that he (and the news media) misjudged the reactions to the selection. If I meet a person who prefers to be called African Anmerican, (I have not yet), I will have no problem using that term. Since all the “people of color” whom I know prefer black, that is the word I generally use.
I had a black roomie when i was in college and he didn’t want to be called African-American. I too have never really heard people call themselves German-American or what ever. Wonder what I should call myself lets see: German-French-Anglo-Saxon-American Indian-Cech-Australian-a bunch of other stuff-American. Any more I don’t even call myself an American I just say I am I’m me. I don’t understand why anyone has to be called anything.
OK, so you don’t live near a major rust-belt city. This was the flaw in Jesse Jackson’s premise that the way people identify themselves in Chicago could be extrapolated to the rest of the country.
As to why anyone needs to “be called anything”: every group is called by some name. Jackson’s efforts were intended to control what the label would be. I can assure you that I can walk into any number of offices, bars, gyms, construction sites, churches, etc. throughout this country and find black people, as a group, being called everything from “black” to “colored” to “niggers.” The reason for choosing the name is to control the perception. If the nightly news discussed hate crimes, discrimination, or affirmative action in terms of “niggers,” the message being conveyed to the majority of the audience would be much different than if the word used was “black.”
The media deferred (incorrectly, in my opinion) to Jackson by switching over to African American (and generated this sort of discussion). However, some word was going to be used, and i have no poblem with Jackson (or any other group) trying to control the word that would be used.
Bingo, we have a winner here! My mother is black, my father is not. I really don’t care what you call me as long as it’s not with malicious intent. I think of myself as both black and white.
Some of my friends do indeed call me “nigga”. It’s acceptible, because it is in no way done out of malice.
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Of course, it is not logically correct to assume that just because somebody uses an obsolete term for a group of people, he or she necessarily has an obsolete attitude toward them too, but language is much more about connotation than about logic**
I can attest to the accuracy of that statement. While in the Army at Ft. Lewis, I was seeing this white girl, and she had a great understanding family. One day while I was visiting, her niece needed to be picked up from day care. The kids mother(my girlfriends older sister) was busy doing my girlfriends hair. She asked if I’d mind picking her up. I said fine, so she called up the day care and told them I’d be coming. when asked for a description, she said “oh, he’s this really nice colored kid”
All that day I walked around going “colored kid” It still makes me laugh, I know she didn’t mean anything by it.
*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Five months, two weeks, four days, 2 hours, 11 minutes and 23 seconds.
6843 cigarettes not smoked, saving $855.45.
Extra time with Drain Bead: 3 weeks, 2 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes.
*“I’m a big Genesis fan.”-David B. (Amen, brother!)
It still makes me laugh, I know she didn’t mean anything by it.