Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The first known printed usage of the term African American dates back to May 15, 1782 when it appeared in the The Pennsylvania Journal.
See the bottom advertisement in the image below (Two Sermons):
Throughout the 19th and early 20th century the terms African American, Afro-American and Africo-Americans can be found. Many of the earliest institutions established by persons of African descent freely chose to put Africa front and center: the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787 and the Free African Society in 1887. Later as freedmen and former slaves were granted citizenship as a result of the 14th Amendment we the beginnings of the hyphenated usage; the National Afro-American League was founded in 1899, and The Baltimore Afro-American founded in 1892 is one of the oldest African American newspapers.
So your premiss is categorically wrong, your characterization of the term African American as being a misnomer is egregiously incorrect and your attempt to describe the historical evolution African American self description is ahistorical.
Better to take the time to read Lerone Bennett, Jr. editorial from 1967 to understand the history of African American self-identification.
When the black guy, now my neighbor, bought the house next door his brother came up from SC to do some work before they moved in. He said people up this way are too sensitive about ****e they shouldn't be. I take it he meant the north and I agree with him. PC has made it so people are half afraid to speak aloud in public; most being white.
If a white person says something a news reporting "journalist" can run with and get headlines the journalist will. Most often the journalist blows things out of proportion to the point it makes no damn sense or difference. A lot of people are now ignoring the stupidity. The headline "Joe Blow White guy says Ni**er at Metro station" might have been a big deal when PC was being crammed up our tushies but the shock factor has subsided. Now we hear Joe Blow Black guy shouting Ni**a at the top of his lungs at any number of places.
I say black. What is wrong with it? I know some white people who are ashamed to say "black" even if naming the color of their black car.
When the black guy, now my neighbor, bought the house next door his brother came up from SC to do some work before they moved in. He said people up this way are too sensitive about ****e they shouldn't be. I take it he meant the north and I agree with him. PC has made it so people are half afraid to speak aloud in public; most being white.
If a white person says something a news reporting "journalist" can run with and get headlines the journalist will. Most often the journalist blows things out of proportion to the point it makes no damn sense or difference. A lot of people are now ignoring the stupidity. The headline "Joe Blow White guy says Ni**er at Metro station" might have been a big deal when PC was being crammed up our tushies but the shock factor has subsided. Now we hear Joe Blow Black guy shouting Ni**a at the top of his lungs at any number of places.
I say black. What is wrong with it? I know some white people who are ashamed to say "black" even if naming the color of their black car.
He somehow thinks that a certain group of people own this phrase based on the melanin level in their skin. He presumes too much, obviously. What is sad is how much some people identify themselves by the melanin level in their skin, when that truly probably is the most trivial and insignificant physical difference that there is between humans across the world.
We do own it.
And as insignificant as you may find skin tone or melanin to be, overall, it's NOT insignificant at all.
I don't use "African-American" in reference to black people because I don't know any black people who are from Africa. They're Americans, and they're black.
His case isn't peculiar and rare at all. Under YOUR logic, he has no more Right to identify as African-American than Rachael Dolizal or however you spell her name. Too lazy to look it up.
Oh really? That's interesting.....
You're pretty inconsistent.
That excludes Obama flat out.
I think "the tribe" plays fast and loose with their own rules, suspending them and/or creating exceptions when it's convenient.
That's a pretty stunning admission. You're basically saying that someone's race is a determining qualifier as to whether or not you like them.
On another note, are you suggesting that we drop this whole utopian idea of racial harmony, colorblindness, etc. and start operating under a system of race realization, which dictates that we quit denying the differences in race, but rather, admit to and accept them in society? That narrative seems to run counter to the Obama/Clinton/Liberal ideology to which you subscribe, but at least I can respect it's honesty.
Look, I've already laid out the terms for use of the term. Since I'm black, I see no need to belabor the point. If you find inconsistencies in what I'm postulating, you'll simply have to get over them. What an African American is and isn't is well known by now...you don't have to accept that definition, but the definition remains. And non-blacks can't shoehorn people into a designation that isn't of their own creation and apply it to people that it doesn't apply to.
Now...to my point about "race relations."
Look...I'm not here to debate some sociological issues because this ain't that deep.
Simply put, speaking solely for myself...THIS black man couldn't possibly care less about race relations. I like the people I like regardless of race. I get along with people of every race. I was raised around other races. So talking about race relations is silly to me. For what?
We don't have to all like each other. It's perfectly fine with me if some whites don't like some or all blacks and the same for any other race. Basically, I only expect to be treated with respect and I treat others the same. This is how all people should think. Everything else is picayune.
I accept that as long as their are differences relative to race in society, there'll be some level of racial acrimony. Is that the worst thing in the world? Yeah...it sucks, but it doesn't rise to the level of super preeminent importance.
All the other stuff you're extrapolating from my comment about the Obama/Clinton liberal blah, blah, blah and utopian ideas and dictates blah, blah is obviously stuff coming out of your personal sentiments. It has nothing to do with me.
They're Moroccan. That may not be Arabia per se, but it is an Arab nation. African Americans, black people, invented this designation for black Americans.You can't shoehorn the people that YOU want included into a group they have no right to join. Create a separate designation for them if you want to. But you can't put them into ours.
Where I've ever set foot is irrelevant to the argument.
The term African American is not an "invention" but rather the juxtaposition of two words. An invention is a new idea, usually a gadget or concept of some sort. Putting together a couple of English words is not an invention.
These girls were from Africa--more Berber than Arab, btw. They are now American. Hence, African-American. Words mean things, and in this case "African-American" is an accurate adjective for these two beautiful girls from Morocco.
Pretty self-defeating and contradictory point. You see, African American isn't based upon complexion but a more complex understanding of culture and history. One would think that if you felt identifying her as being her black was awkward your point might have made some sense.
Then please tell THAT to several anglo white people with KNOWN recent "Black" family; 1 is an ex G/F who's snow white with blond hair and blue eyes but with "Black" facial features like from by Nigeria, and 2 or 3 others were 1 quarter or less "Black". ALL self ID'd as "white".
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
