Monday, February 9, 2009

From a Fan: “are you trying to be racially divisive just to get attention?”

I received another e-mail asking me why I use the term “Negro” and why I misspell (negroes).
I mean seriously folks are some of you either that clueless or misinformed or lacking in a sense of humor?
I also don’t understand why out of all the blogs on the internet my blog is viewed by some as “racially divisive.” This is coming from some of Pam’s readers I guess and out of all of the things I post on this blog why is the use of this particular word such a thorn in the sides of some of you white liberal types.
Folks I’m not even a history buff but anyone with a 5th grade education knows the origins of the term Negro and knows that (negroes) is how it was spelled by folks back in the day.
Usually I would not bother explaining this AGAIN, as I have on my other blogs but hey, it’s Monday and I’m not real motivated today.

The pictures are from my 5th grade textbook from John Sweet elementary school in
1975.
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The term Blacks is often used in the West to denote race for persons whose progenitors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. The anthropological term for these peoples, now considered somewhat archaic, is Negroid. "Blacks" also may be used more broadly to refer to members of other dark-skinned groups, such as Africans, Australians, New Guineans, Tamils, South Indians, Sri Lankas, Pakistanis, and others.
In many countries, there is still a strong (though weakening) social stigma against those persons identifying themselves as part of more than one perceived racial category. Hence, it may be truer to say that people who perceive themselves or are perceived by others as a member of a black cultural group often are called "black."
The term Negro (from negro, Spanish and Portuguese for 'black') was widely used
until the 1960s, and remains a constituent part of the names of several African American organizations. Another term given currency at the time was coloured. However, following the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the terms Negro and coloured usually were deemed derogatory and inappropriate. By contrast, "black" has gained increasing acceptance worldwide. In the United States often is used interchangeably with an even newer, more politically correct name African American.
In English-speaking North America and some parts of Europe, mixed-race people with some African ancestry are often referred to simply as being "black," with no distinction made between them and people fully of African descent. In other places, persons of mixed race and part African descent are not called "black" due to caste systems in their countries of origin. Some are called "white" because they have an especially light complexion or European-looking features. When such people are perceived as using their complexions to personal advantage by hiding or denying the African part of their heritage, it is often called "passing."

3 comments:

phthaloblu said...

And some people will look hard enough just to find something to be offended about. Those people have too much time on their hands.--phthalo

PeggyU said...

Holy crap. I've never seen it spelled "negros". That looks altogether wrong. Wonder what spell checker does with it?

Anonymous said...

It's spelled blak.