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That is a question you have to ask people individually.
For me, im fine with the use of the term black, but not "blacks". Just from my own personal experience, that s comes off as harsh, and just feels like people wanting to use the n-word, but cant so they use a substitute.
You cant really put that same emphasis on it in African Americans , LOL
Im actually glad you asked that. I hope it gives you a better understanding and starts a dialogue.
But As I said, there are other contexts for those terms.
For some people black is just skin color where as African American denotes ancestry itself.
For example.
Jamaicans, Dominicans, and even arabs = black, but not african americans.
but even in the context of your post where you were differentiating in another way, why is it wrong in your mind to call someone african american.
it is no different than a white person saying they have German heritage.
I could argue in some ways Blacks are treated worse today than in the picture. Just because there are no hoses and dogs doesn’t mean there is no oppression. After the emancipation an equally insidious form of oppression was systematically implemented in the U.S. The LEGAL SYSTEM became an ingenious way to enslave blacks. In several Southern states blacks were jailed for as little looking at a white person or not repaying a debt. Black Laws, Jim Crow, Segregation, the war on ‘drugs’ (wink-wink), the war on ‘crime’ (wink-wink).. all systematic forms of post-slavery Black oppression. Also, propaganda, make the black male out to be a savage, unmanly, inhuman with natural criminal tendencies (ie. the film, Birth of a Nation).
Contrary to popular belief, the 13th Amendment did not abolish slavery. It reworded the context:
“The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME.”
I also prefer the term Black American, as African-American further bastardizes blacks in this country. Blacks have been in this nation over 400 years and are still referred to as “African”??? We don’t call whites “European-Americans”, they are most commonly referred to as White Americans.
Yes, Black patriotism is a more complicated matter. That said, blacks have always nobly served our country, even during slavery and throughout the years of extreme oppression following.
I agree with everything stated here. Almost word for word.
That is a question you have to ask people individually.
For me, im fine with the use of the term black, but not "blacks". Just from my own personal experience, that s comes off as harsh, and just feels like people wanting to use the n-word, but cant so they use a substitute.
You cant really put that same emphasis on it in African Americans , LOL
Im actually glad you asked that. I hope it gives you a better understanding and starts a dialogue.
But As I said, there are other contexts for those terms.
For some people black is just skin color where as African American denotes ancestry itself.
For example.
Jamaicans, Dominicans, and even arabs = black, but not african americans.
but even in the context of your post where you were differentiating in another way, why is it wrong in your mind to call someone african american.
it is no different than a white person saying they have German heritage.
Yes! I’m often amazed when I tell other liberals that I refer to black people as “black people.”
Ummm. Why not? I do not know where, exactly, they came from.
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When in doubt, check it out: FAQ
If a black and an African-American are the same thing, then why is the latter prefered?
Not everyone prefers it as residinghere pointed out. For some it may be like being a 4th generation American and constantly referred to as Irish-American or German-American. That may be great when talking about your heritage or on St. Patrick's Day or Oktoberfest, but sometimes you just don't feel like being pigeonholed.
But nevertheless there is an important distinction. For example Nigerians, Ghanians, Ethipoians, etc. are all black, but none of them are African-American.
the term African-American was "come up with" to identify black Americans whose ancestors were brought to America from various African countries and kingdoms, hence the non-specific "African" term. This is also why someone from Nigeria who immigrates to America is not an African-American, he is a Nigerian-American.
One reason someone might prefer to use the term 'African-American' is so that the unique experiences, contributions, and struggles of black Americans whose ancestors were part of the slave experience in early America and the subsequent period of oppression are not attributed or conflated with the experiences of recent black immigrants from Africa.
As for people arguing that the term is inaccurate because African-Americans are not African, well, I sort of see the point there, but on the other hand, many of the cultural contributions the slaves and their descendants made do have African roots just as the European part of America's cultural heritage can be recognized as having its roots in European culture. I think it is worthwhile to recognize the cultural roots of American art and innovation.
I could argue in some ways Blacks are treated worse today than in the picture. Just because there are no hoses and dogs doesn’t mean there is no oppression. After the emancipation an equally insidious form of oppression was systematically implemented in the U.S. The LEGAL SYSTEM became an ingenious way to enslave blacks. In several Southern states blacks were jailed for as little looking at a white person or not repaying a debt. Black Laws, Jim Crow, Segregation, the war on ‘drugs’ (wink-wink), the war on ‘crime’ (wink-wink).. all systematic forms of post-slavery Black oppression. Also, propaganda, make the black male out to be a savage, unmanly, inhuman with natural criminal tendencies (ie. the film, Birth of a Nation).
Contrary to popular belief, the 13th Amendment did not abolish slavery. It reworded the context:
“The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME.”
I also prefer the term Black American, as African-American further bastardizes blacks in this country. Blacks have been in this nation over 400 years and are still referred to as “African”??? We don’t call whites “European-Americans”, they are most commonly referred to as White Americans.
Yes, Black patriotism is a more complicated matter. That said, blacks have always nobly served our country, even during slavery and throughout the years of extreme oppression following.
On the black, ITA. This is the "beautiful struggle" I mentioned earlier.
Will note that there was a documentary on Netflix and Youtube called the "Black Power Mixtape" and in that documentary (it is about the Black Power Movement of the late 1960s to early 1970s) one of NY's "The Last Poets" makes some comment around the 5 minute mark that are as follows about black Americans:
Quote:
We take care of America, we hold America to our bosom, we feed America, we make love to America. There wouldn’t be an America without black people. So you have some dedicated black Americans who would die a million deaths to save America and this is home for us we don’t know really about Africa. We talk about it in a romantic sense but America is it. And so America is always going to be okay as long as black people don’t totally lose their mind, because we’ll pick up the pieces and we’ll turn it into a new dance.
This quote really stuck out to me in regards to that whole documentary. This and also the part where Stokely Carmichael is interviewing his mother. Many don't know that Stokely was the son of black immigrants from the West Indies. Even though we as black people in America like to bicker about our own differences and experiences, I think today we don't realize that as black people in America, we are often treated the same way and have the same issues based on race no matter country of origin. Stokely's mother admitted how her husband could not get gainful employment solely because he was black - no matter where he came from before. How they were limited in the opportunities America afforded due to them as immigrants based on their African ancestry.
IMO it is interesting that black people overlook the fact that the more black nationalistic minded persons, many involved in Marcus Garvey's UNIA and later the Black Power Movement, people like Stokely Carmichael, they were black America's first black nationalists and became as such due to having to endure this struggle and IMO being shocked by the fact that they had to do so in this nation, which promised opportunity to immigrants.
Our history here is interesting and so we do have a different sort of patriotism, but like the poet said, unless we totally lose our minds, America will be okay. Black Americans are very strong minded people. We are survivors. We can deal with a lot of sh*t and keep on going like the Energizer Bunny lol. Funny but true and we will keep going until stuff is better. I honestly do believe that America would not be America if it weren't for us and that is the basis of my own patriotism.
This thread reminds me of that Chris Rock joke where he says "For Black people, America is like the uncle who paid for you to go to college - but he molested you."
This thread reminds me of that Chris Rock joke where he says "For Black people, America is like the uncle who paid for you to go to college - but he molested you."
^ Wow.
Malcolm X: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, the rock landed on us."
On the black, ITA. This is the "beautiful struggle" I mentioned earlier.
Will note that there was a documentary on Netflix and Youtube called the "Black Power Mixtape" and in that documentary (it is about the Black Power Movement of the late 1960s to early 1970s) one of NY's "The Last Poets" makes some comment around the 5 minute mark that are as follows about black Americans:
This quote really stuck out to me in regards to that whole documentary. This and also the part where Stokely Carmichael is interviewing his mother. Many don't know that Stokely was the son of black immigrants from the West Indies. Even though we as black people in America like to bicker about our own differences and experiences, I think today we don't realize that as black people in America, we are often treated the same way and have the same issues based on race no matter country of origin. Stokely's mother admitted how her husband could not get gainful employment solely because he was black - no matter where he came from before. How they were limited in the opportunities America afforded due to them as immigrants based on their African ancestry.
IMO it is interesting that black people overlook the fact that the more black nationalistic minded persons, many involved in Marcus Garvey's UNIA and later the Black Power Movement, people like Stokely Carmichael, they were black America's first black nationalists and became as such due to having to endure this struggle and IMO being shocked by the fact that they had to do so in this nation, which promised opportunity to immigrants.
Our history here is interesting and so we do have a different sort of patriotism, but like the poet said, unless we totally lose our minds, America will be okay. Black Americans are very strong minded people. We are survivors. We can deal with a lot of sh*t and keep on going like the Energizer Bunny lol. Funny but true and we will keep going until stuff is better. I honestly do believe that America would not be America if it weren't for us and that is the basis of my own patriotism.
The last paragraph is very true. I noted this many times in my thesis about black Americans.
No really it is the difference between saying “That is a white boy” vs. “Look at that whiteboi.” You said white boy all you did was change it up a little and one sounds demeaning and racist.
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