Should We Drop the "African-"?


Bartram

Bartram

Brand HBCUbian
Is it, yet again, time for a name change? (by the way, how come we are the only shmucks in this country to be going through 50-thousand name changes for crying out loud?? :goof: )

An interesting perspective in the "opinion" section of the MGM Adi, although i'm a bit dubious of the authenticity of this commentary, tis why i had to brang it before the TSPN "high court" of thought and opinion. :p

Actual Africans Offended by Term

Are there any NATIVE African citizens on here that could substantiate the sampling of this individual in a visit to Africa, allegedly, is what I want to know?
 
:lol: @ shmucks.

Aren't white South Africans who live in the USA considered 'African Americans'? ...:read:

Wouldn't that qualify them for Affirmative Actions considerations? :read:
 



I prefer the term African American for myself. Can't and won't speak for others. This is the first time we defined who we are, as opposed to some clear person doing it.

Last month, I visited parts of southern Africa, including Zambia. While there, I asked a sister her thoughts on the subject. She had no problem with it. We look a lot like them anyway.

That was enough for me.
 
Most Africans could care less what we call ourselves. And besides you can't be a citizen of Africa, you can be a citizen of a country in Africa but not Africa itself.


IMHO- We should worry less about what "we" call ourselves and more about why we acknowledge black leaders and innovators during February and give the impression that we shouldn't be too "educated" or "articulate" EVERYDAY. When we stop accepting mediocrity and crap-o-rama (TM.) "we" will have truly made inroads.
 
When are black folks gone learn to love themselves. We are a unique race envied by the whole world. We set the trends around the world. People pay thousands of dollars to be like us from tanning, to cosmetics looks. We can be everything wrapped up in one because of how diverse we are. I love been black and I don't understand why some of you all desire to be anything else!!!!!!
 
....I've never liked being refered to as "African American".

Might sound ignorant of me; and I know where folks may go with the ancestor thingy or whatever; but oh well, ain from Africa, I was born in the USA. Now my ancestors (slaves) from the B.C. era :lol: from Africa, but I'm not. If I went so called "home" to Africa, where my family at? ancestors or whatever? H ell I dont know, and they dont know me. Dont call me African American; Black American is just fine. Besides, who are the ones that started and felt that we needed a name change?

"Snake"
 
PsiSnake said:
....I've never liked being refered to as "African American".

Might sound ignorant of me; and I know where folks may go with the ancestor thingy or whatever; but oh well, ain from Africa, I was born in the USA. Now my ancestors (slaves) from the B.C. era :lol: from Africa, but I'm not. If I went so called "home" to Africa, where my family at? ancestors or whatever? H ell I dont know, and they dont know me. Dont call me African American; Black American is just fine. Besides, who are the ones that started and felt that we needed a name change?

"Snake"
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Me either...personally, I'd prefer to just be called BLACK cuz that's what I am.

POWER to the PEOPLE!
 
I don't care either way (Black or African-American). Most people know exactly what you mean when we say African-American. What kills me is all these non-black people who act like they care or are offended because of the hyphenated title.
 
Killer Bees said:
I don't care either way (Black or African-American). Most people know exactly what you mean when we say African-American. What kills me is all these non-black people who act like they care or are offended because of the hyphenated title.
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Slaves
Darkie
Niggers
colored
negro
black
people of color
african america
n****r (again)
Nugga
Of all that I can remember being called, I prefer African-American. Of all the others only negro has a scientific basis. There are only Negroid, caucasion and mongoloid.
Other groups no longer use ?????-American anymore? I did not know that.
 
PsiSnake said:
....I've never liked being refered to as "African American".

Might sound ignorant of me; and I know where folks may go with the ancestor thingy or whatever; but oh well, ain from Africa, I was born in the USA. Now my ancestors (slaves) from the B.C. era :lol: from Africa, but I'm not. If I went so called "home" to Africa, where my family at? ancestors or whatever? H ell I dont know, and they dont know me. Dont call me African American; Black American is just fine. Besides, who are the ones that started and felt that we needed a name change?

"Snake"
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LOL
This is true.

We know we focus on the simplest things...LOL
 
UAPB-LIONS-AM&N said:
Slaves
Darkie
Niggers
colored
negro
black
people of color
african america
n****r (again)
Nugga
Of all that I can remember being called, I prefer African-American. Of all the others only negro has a scientific basis. There are only Negroid, caucasion and mongoloid.
Other groups no longer use ?????-American anymore? I did not know that.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I suspect I'm one of few people on this board who lived through Jim Crow and sat in the segregated waiting rooms and drank from segregated water fountains. A lot of these terms were foisted upon us by clear people. We didn't have to accept them, but considering they had the firepower and the financial wealth we didn't have much choice.

African American was created for us, by us. People such as Maya Angelou and Jesse Jackson (yeah, he got issues but I applaud him for this) brought the term to the forefront in the 1980s. I wholeheartedly embrace it.
 



SLT said:
:lol: @ shmucks.

Aren't white South Africans who live in the USA considered 'African Americans'? ...:read:
Click to expand...
Ironically my doc (clear/white/pink whatever) is African-American, he was born in South Africa but he is a naturalized US citizen, thus the term African-American. We joked about it in our first meeting a few years ago.

I think it's sad that we have the economic means to make social changes on a large scale, but don't.
 
CocoaLove said:
Thank you.

I suspect I'm one of few people on this board who lived through Jim Crow and sat in the segregated waiting rooms and drank from segregated water fountains. A lot of these terms were foisted upon us by clear people. We didn't have to accept them, but considering they had the firepower and the financial wealth we didn't have much choice.

African American was created for us, by us. People such as Maya Angelou and Jesse Jackson (yeah, he got issues but I applaud him for this) brought the term to the forefront in the 1980s. I wholeheartedly embrace it.
Click to expand...

:tup: i didn't live through it, but my mommy sholl did, and that was enough for me. i embrace it as well, it took too much and too many to get thus far so i wouldn't feel right not embracing the term.
 
Jacy said:
Ironically my doc (clear/white/pink whatever) is African-American, he was born in South Africa but he is a naturalized US citizen, thus the term African-American. We joked about it in our first meeting a few years ago.
Click to expand...

I see you grasped my point....;)
 
Jacy said:
Ironically my doc (clear/white/pink whatever) is African-American, he was born in South Africa but he is a naturalized US citizen, thus the term African-American. We joked about it in our first meeting a few years ago.

I think it's sad that we have the economic means to make social changes on a large scale, but don't.
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Folk, the counselor here physically has no negroid traits but he says he is black. Then I saw his family portrait...he is black.
Jacy, what of persons like O'bama? Is he a black man? Just asking.
 
Who defined the word "black".. And who agreed to be called black.. Everytime I look up a word with black in it, it is something negative... I ain't no where near the color they call black.. Since this is their country why not be called.."Non-White"?
 
SUtrp96 said:
Who defined the word "black".. And who agreed to be called black.. Everytime I look up a word with black in it, it is something negative...
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i hear ya, you're right. :tup: many things in association with Black is negative, so that should tell you who came up with it, but we would rather be called that. :no:
 
CocoaLove said:
Thank you.

I suspect I'm one of few people on this board who lived through Jim Crow and sat in the segregated waiting rooms and drank from segregated water fountains. A lot of these terms were foisted upon us by clear people. We didn't have to accept them, but considering they had the firepower and the financial wealth we didn't have much choice.

African American was created for us, by us. People such as Maya Angelou and Jesse Jackson (yeah, he got issues but I applaud him for this) brought the term to the forefront in the 1980s. I wholeheartedly embrace it.
Click to expand...
I could have written this!!! No one has spoken of living during the struggle and the history. I have gotten some harsh remarks on this board because of my experiences and views.

Often we struggled between names to get the least offensive one used. The last we wanted to be called was n****r. Now that is what many of us prefer.
Original question...No do not drop the "African". It identifies us. It includes all our complections (sp). It includes those of us who have no negroid traits. America will always see us as SOMETHING that identifies as other (less) than just American.
 
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