[REMOVE ADS]




Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 50 of 62
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295

    The other "N" word

    http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/...ideo_referrer=

    My question is this: When did the term "negro" become offensive?

    There are those of us of a certain generation who grew up with the term. It's on our birth certificates. A respected institution uses the word: "The United negro College Fund". Sure, it could be said that is is one degree away from the "n" word, or that it is a mispronunciation of the spanish word "negro", meaning the color "black". Some say the word fell out of favor in the mid-60s as a word that was designated for Blacks by Whites.

    And, what about "colored"? I don't see the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People changing their name any time soon.

    My sister and I used to lightly insult each other by calling each other "negro", but the 20-something at my workplace will have none of that, but he doesn't mind using the "N" word. And, how many of us Black people chastise old White people for calling us "coloreds"?

    The accepted term is now "African-American", but some, like me, still prefer "Black", as some older people prefer "Negro".

    Getting back to the other "N" word. What's the deal, here?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    4,207
    Rep Power
    209
    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/...ideo_referrer=

    My question is this: When did the term "negro" become offensive?

    There are those of us of a certain generation who grew up with the term. It's on our birth certificates. A respected institution uses the word: "The United negro College Fund". Sure, it could be said that is is one degree away from the "n" word, or that it is a mispronunciation of the spanish word "negro", meaning the color "black". Some say the word fell out of favor in the mid-60s as a word that was designated for Blacks by Whites.

    And, what about "colored"? I don't see the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People changing their name any time soon.

    My sister and I used to lightly insult each other by calling each other "negro", but the 20-something at my workplace will have none of that, but he doesn't mind using the "N" word. And, how many of us Black people chastise old White people for calling us "coloreds"?

    The accepted term is now "African-American", but some, like me, still prefer "Black", as some older people prefer "Negro".

    Getting back to the other "N" word. What's the deal, here?
    "African American" is totally ridiculous. Whoopi Goldberg says she don't like it either, she says when you "hyphenate" her, it's like your'e tryin to tell her she's not 100 percent american. Black to me is what has always been the standard, short, sweet, one syllable and all inclusive. Ain't no damn body can tell by looking at someone whether they really are "african american" or actual africans. Actually, I'm told that Africans get offended when people call them "African american". Black people come from all over, Jamaica, Dominicans, even Europe and England, Maxine Nightingale sure ain't no "african american".

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    They're just words. I'm cool with African-American, because it's as good as anything. There are a lot of Africans that don't want to be called that because they are very prejudiced and they don't associate with Blacks/Negros/People of Color. By the way, in Africa, they don't recognize brown-skinned Americans as being "Black", either. Those people can kiss my ass, to be honest. I'm also cool with Black, but I'm not black. I'm brown, so WTF?

    Negro is no worse than anything, it's just old school. "Lift Every Voice And Sing" was once called "The Negro National Anthem" and nobody had a problem with it. That was back in the days when I stood up when the song was played, which most Black/Negro/People of Color don't seem to do these days.

    Regardless of whether they come from Jamaica, Dominican Republic, the West Indies, or Brazil, their ancestors probably got there in the guts of a slave ship, so the "African" designation can be applied to their black asses, as well.

    The funny thing about it is, there's nothing really that describes us. Black/Negro/People of Color in America are about as mixed up as you can get. Most of us have white genes and a good portion of us have other races, as well. I'm 1/8th Cherokee, myself. It kills me when I hear people describe themselves as "bi-racial". Hell, B/N/PoC, I got that beat, so stop acting like you're better than somebody.

  4. #4
    thomas96 Guest
    How about "people"? Why can't everyone just be a human being? No labels.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,798
    Rep Power
    350
    That's difficult because people post here from all over the world and there might be differences in what is acceptable from country to country. As far as I know "Negro" isn't an offensive term in the UK. UK census forms use the term "Black" in their ethnicity sections.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    5,917
    Rep Power
    241
    In their efforts to protect minorities sometimes organisations make things worse to me.
    Then the media adds to the confusion...Sillyness is the order of the day. Negro is not
    really as offensive as it is archaic in this time. I prefer black but I know my parents and their
    peers used Negro and sometimes colored and I think it's stupid of people to not realise
    that terminology always has and will change with time. I love Whoopi Goldberg as I do
    Oprah, they both do a lot of great things for people but each can be wrong at times so I
    take any of their expressed ideas with a grain of salt when neccessary. Whoopi rejects
    African American but she remains delusional about n***er with her explaination that it
    always means somthing different when black people use it. Ha! When that guy in the street
    is standing over his victum holding his gun in the air yelling "What now,N*GG*R?!" between
    firing rounds into his back, it means the exact same thing. Or maybe Whoopi would think
    he's expressing his love for his brother with a term of endearment....Still I think people have the right to refer to themselves as they please and I let them. How they do lets me
    know what to expect of them...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by thomas96 View Post
    How about "people"? Why can't everyone just be a human being? No labels.
    Many people believe that if you remove the labels, you remove their cultural identity, and that is an even bigger insult.

    Like Jerry, I have a diverse makeup, but I also agree 100% with what Splanky believes. Culturally, I am American with no hyphen, and it drives people crazy that I don't "act" Black. I joke around about it, but it also invites a lot of insults like "Oh, you're different,", "I don't think of you as Black.", "You're intelligent/articulate"., or, "You're not like the rest of 'em!.".

    A funny thing is that some people think i'm of Latin descent, and get angry when I don't understand Spanish. I I've had my genealogy traced and have some Spanish or Portuguese in my family line, with some Cherokee, and German or Irish, yet the strongest is of the Ashanti tribe, all consistent with a typical Black American. Turns out I have cousins in England who have blond hair and blue eyes.

    Jerry, I like the term bi-racial, if only because it counters that racist "one drop" rule that too many Americans, both White and Black, still adhere to.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    5,454
    Rep Power
    222
    Quote Originally Posted by jillfoster View Post
    African American" is totally ridiculous.
    Just curious, are you black?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    1,845
    Rep Power
    179
    Soulster, I enjoyed your comments. I am a white guy who had my genetic testing done and learned that this white guy ain't so white! Unbeknownst to many of us, we are closely related. Point is that we all come into life that same way and go out the same way. Unfortunately, we often shoebox and stereotype based on ethnicity. We are all individuals and should be treated as such. Great posting.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by detmotownguy View Post
    Soulster, I enjoyed your comments. I am a white guy who had my genetic testing done and learned that this white guy ain't so white! Unbeknownst to many of us, we are closely related. Point is that we all come into life that same way and go out the same way. Unfortunately, we often shoebox and stereotype based on ethnicity. We are all individuals and should be treated as such. Great posting.
    Thanks!

    I don't know how far we have come in understanding how the word "negro" suddenly became offensive, and I probably muddied that up a bit, but it's been a goof thread, so far. thanks!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    Thanks!

    I don't know how far we have come in understanding how the word "negro" suddenly became offensive, and I probably muddied that up a bit, but it's been a goof thread, so far. thanks!
    I like this conversation you all are having.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    Here's what people don't understand about labels: Whatever you consider yourself to be, it doesn't matter. It's what others consider you to be that matters. There was a professor who was hired as a department head at Ohio State University. As it turns out, his father was mixed with Black and caucasion parents, even though he could pass as white. The professor didn't even know he had a Black grandmother until he was 8 or 9 years old. Instead of disappearing into the white world, he embraced the Black part of his lineage but when it came out to his peers, he found that he was looked at differently than before because a lot of people began to think that he only got the job because of his minority status.

    I'm cool if you call yourself bi-racial, mixed, colored, mulatto, Creole, redbone, or high yellow. God bless you. However, when your car breaks down in some small town in Mississippi and you have to walk to the gas station for help, don't expect those good folks to see you for your wonderfully diverse heritage. They're going to look at you and wonder what the hell that n***er is doing walking through their town. The labels that affect whether you live or die in this world are those applied by others, not yourself.

    So, that tan skin and fine hair might get you somewhere in this world, but don't expect that wide nose and those thick lips to be ignored, Brother. We have to get away from labeling others.
    Last edited by Jerry Oz; 08-10-2014 at 04:57 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Or if it breaks down in a fairly large suburb called Dearborn just outside of Detroit!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Just make sure that you never drive through areas where you might have issues!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    Hah! Like New York City?

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    Hah! Like New York City?
    L.A., Chicago, Atlanta...pick a place!

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    Just make sure that you never drive through areas where you might have issues!
    You know what? You and I are very close to the same age and I have been all over this country in big cities to the smallest of villages and rural towns beginning in the late 70's up to this day. I have not ran into any trouble to speak of [[in Stamford, CT an officer stopped me within a month of me buying my new car and questioned my about my driver's license...). My experience has been the exception. Even the few experiences around NYC cannot compare to what I know other guys have been through!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    L.A., Chicago, Atlanta...pick a place!
    Oh,Oh, you just made me remember the very worst experience I had with cops was in Chicago in 1988. I was parked waiting for my girlfriend and her little cousin at a medical clinic. The cops drove over to me, had me get out of my car. Frisked me and began searching my car for a weapon in front of a crowd of people that were watching from across the street! I had no idea why they targeted me at the time.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    I remember being stopped while driving with my cousin in tow. While waiting for the cop to approach the car, I asked my cousin if I rolled through a stop sign or ran a red light and he told me that I didn't. The cop was very rude and demanded that I show him my license and proof of insurance. He then told my passenger to fork over his ID, as well. I'm pretty sure that he can't demand it, but my cousin gave it to him to avoid a hassle. Before he went to his cruiser, I asked why he stopped me and he told me that I didn't have my front license plate on my car.

    In the ten minutes that it took to run my license and find out that I had no prior record, my cousin and I counted 17 cars in the far lane that had no front tag; we didn't even count the ones that were going the same direction. I'm pretty sure the numbers were similar, so this cop pulled me over when almost nobody bothered to put their front tags on their cars. When he came back, he told me to find the plate or I'd get a ticket if he saw me again.

    "Thanks," says I. "By the way, are you stopping everybody that doesn't have a tag?" My blood was boiling now. "Yes, I am," he lied. "Why do you want to know?" My cousin was pulling on my arm to advise me to back down. I told him that I was just curious and bit my lip. I thanked my cousin later because he kept me from going to jail over something stupid like that. In the state of Ohio, that is considered a secondary violation, which means that he can cite me if he finds that I did something else that required intervention, like speeding or failing to yield right of way.

    Of the five times that I've been stopped by the police, I was only treated with blatant disrespect by that one cop. He was also the only black officer to pull me over.

  20. #20
    thomas96 Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    I remember being stopped while driving with my cousin in tow. While waiting for the cop to approach the car, I asked my cousin if I rolled through a stop sign or ran a red light and he told me that I didn't. The cop was very rude and demanded that I show him my license and proof of insurance. He then told my passenger to fork over his ID, as well. I'm pretty sure that he can't demand it, but my cousin gave it to him to avoid a hassle. Before he went to his cruiser, I asked why he stopped me and he told me that I didn't have my front license plate on my car.

    In the ten minutes that it took to run my license and find out that I had no prior record, my cousin and I counted 17 cars in the far lane that had no front tag; we didn't even count the ones that were going the same direction. I'm pretty sure the numbers were similar, so this cop pulled me over when almost nobody bothered to put their front tags on their cars. When he came back, he told me to find the plate or I'd get a ticket if he saw me again.

    "Thanks," says I. "By the way, are you stopping everybody that doesn't have a tag?" My blood was boiling now. "Yes, I am," he lied. "Why do you want to know?" My cousin was pulling on my arm to advise me to back down. I told him that I was just curious and bit my lip. I thanked my cousin later because he kept me from going to jail over something stupid like that. In the state of Ohio, that is considered a secondary violation, which means that he can cite me if he finds that I did something else that required intervention, like speeding or failing to yield right of way.

    Of the five times that I've been stopped by the police, I was only treated with blatant disrespect by that one cop. He was also the only black officer to pull me over.
    If it ever happens again you need a camera [[or smartphone) in your car and you gotta film that shit, call his ass out and demand his badge number.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    5,917
    Rep Power
    241
    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    You know what? You and I are very close to the same age and I have been all over this country in big cities to the smallest of villages and rural towns beginning in the late 70's up to this day. I have not ran into any trouble to speak of [[in Stamford, CT an officer stopped me within a month of me buying my new car and questioned my about my driver's license...). My experience has been the exception. Even the few experiences around NYC cannot compare to what I know other guys have been through!
    I guess it's my being just about 8-10 years older than you guys that makes
    so much difference because like you I have also been all over this country
    and you really don't want to know all of the things I've seen and experienced all the way back to when I was a little boy vacationing
    in South Carolina...In fact, an accurate re-telling of some of the shit that
    happened would make it possible for some to identify me and unlike
    many, I prefer this internet anonmosity thing. That said I still try to look at
    everyone as individuals first no matter how they identify themselves.
    I do want to ask one question of Jerry though if I may; have you ever
    personally known any Africans?...

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    I can say that i've had only positive run-ins with cops in every state i've been in except in my own home town.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    Quote Originally Posted by splanky View Post
    I guess it's my being just about 8-10 years older than you guys that makes
    so much difference because like you I have also been all over this country
    and you really don't want to know all of the things I've seen and experienced all the way back to when I was a little boy vacationing
    in South Carolina...In fact, an accurate re-telling of some of the shit that
    happened would make it possible for some to identify me and unlike
    many, I prefer this internet anonmosity thing. That said I still try to look at
    everyone as individuals first no matter how they identify themselves.
    I do want to ask one question of Jerry though if I may; have you ever
    personally known any Africans?...
    Yes. Many of them are fine people, especially the Ethiopians and Somalis that I've known. I've also known Gambians, Liberians, and Senegalese in addition to Egyptians and Moroccans. For the most part, the folks that I've known were all working people who returned the respect that they were given.

    Not to overly generalize, but there have been a few Nigerians that I've wanted to slap. These gentlemen were somewhat financially secure and their opinions of Black Americans was very low. One of my acquaintances relayed a story in which he took his family to visit his father-in-law in a rather affluent local suburb where his kids met a few Nigerian children. After about the third visit, there was a knock at the door. The father of the Nigerian children was there, politely asking my acquaintance to keep his kids away. He didn't want his children be seen playing with Black kids. That's not the only time that I'm aware of something like this.

    Again, I'm not going to generalize against anybody, but there are many Africans who look down their noses at Black Americans. In retrospect, there are enough Black people that have the same opinion of other Black people [[some of them whom frequent these forums; one of whom may have posted on this thread), so why should I be surprised that anybody would think they're better than us?
    Last edited by Jerry Oz; 08-11-2014 at 01:16 PM.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    5,917
    Rep Power
    241
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    Yes. Many of them are fine people, especially the Ethiopians and Somalis that I've known. I've also known Gambians, Liberians, and Senegalese in addition to Egyptians and Moroccans. For the most part, the folks that I've known were all working people who returned the respect that they were given.

    Not to overly generalize, but there have been a few Nigerians that I've wanted to slap. These gentlemen were somewhat financially secure and their opinions of Black Americans was very low. One of my acquaintances relayed a story in which he took his family to visit his father-in-law in a rather affluent local suburb where his kids met a few Nigerian children. After about the third visit, there was a knock at the door. The father of the Nigerian children was there, politely asking my acquaintance to keep his kids away. He didn't want his children be seen playing with Black kids. That's not the only time that I'm aware of something like this.

    Again, I'm not going to generalize against anybody, but there are many Africans who look down their noses at Black Americans. In retrospect, there are enough Black people that have the same opinion of other Black people [[some of them whom frequent these forums; one of whom may have posted on this thread), so why should I be surprised that anybody would think they're better than us?
    Clear enough. Seems we've both had similiar experiences with some of the people we've
    crossed paths with...

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    I can say that i've had only positive run-ins with cops in every state i've been in except in my own home town.
    The only consistent interactions I've ever had were with the Suffolk County NY [[Long Island) police. Those guys have always treated me right from fixing flat tires to helping me avoid insurance rates increases! They are the exception!

  26. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    I remember being stopped while driving with my cousin in tow. While waiting for the cop to approach the car, I asked my cousin if I rolled through a stop sign or ran a red light and he told me that I didn't. The cop was very rude and demanded that I show him my license and proof of insurance. He then told my passenger to fork over his ID, as well. I'm pretty sure that he can't demand it, but my cousin gave it to him to avoid a hassle. Before he went to his cruiser, I asked why he stopped me and he told me that I didn't have my front license plate on my car.

    In the ten minutes that it took to run my license and find out that I had no prior record, my cousin and I counted 17 cars in the far lane that had no front tag; we didn't even count the ones that were going the same direction. I'm pretty sure the numbers were similar, so this cop pulled me over when almost nobody bothered to put their front tags on their cars. When he came back, he told me to find the plate or I'd get a ticket if he saw me again.

    "Thanks," says I. "By the way, are you stopping everybody that doesn't have a tag?" My blood was boiling now. "Yes, I am," he lied. "Why do you want to know?" My cousin was pulling on my arm to advise me to back down. I told him that I was just curious and bit my lip. I thanked my cousin later because he kept me from going to jail over something stupid like that. In the state of Ohio, that is considered a secondary violation, which means that he can cite me if he finds that I did something else that required intervention, like speeding or failing to yield right of way.

    Of the five times that I've been stopped by the police, I was only treated with blatant disrespect by that one cop. He was also the only black officer to pull me over.
    Something similar to this happened to me in the Bronx in August of 1997! I remember the month and the year because it was the day that both Mother Teresa and Princess Diana happened to be in the Bronx [[they both passed away shortly thereafter.....) I was driving with my younger brother who was visiting and we were pulled over right after I turned left onto St. Raymond Ave. Two cops stopped us, approached my car with guns drawn on either side of the car. I was told my turn signal light was out. I had to almost kick my brother to make him keep quiet. The officer that came to my side of the car was a rookie trainee, the other was an older cop. They were grinning the whole time and only issued me a warning to have it fixed in 30 days. Now I had been driving around for weeks and had driven all the way from Long Island and no one had stopped me before this!

  27. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    "To protect and serve"? Maybe sometimes. Other times, it's like this car from the "Transformers" film: "To punish and enslave".

  28. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    "To protect and serve"? Maybe sometimes. Other times, it's like this car from the "Transformers" film: "To punish and enslave".
    LOL!!!! Good one! Sadly, it is soooooo true!

  29. #29
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    4,898
    Rep Power
    215
    Oh Gosh! Sometimes I know why Ice T [[was it him) that said F the police. There are good policeman out there though.

  30. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    That was Ice Cube and NWA.

  31. #31
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    4,373
    Rep Power
    210
    Quote Originally Posted by jillfoster View Post
    "African American" is totally ridiculous. Whoopi Goldberg says she don't like it either, she says when you "hyphenate" her, it's like your'e tryin to tell her she's not 100 percent american. Black to me is what has always been the standard, short, sweet, one syllable and all inclusive. Ain't no damn body can tell by looking at someone whether they really are "african american" or actual africans. Actually, I'm told that Africans get offended when people call them "African american". Black people come from all over, Jamaica, Dominicans, even Europe and England, Maxine Nightingale sure ain't no "african american".
    Says you. I happen to be very comfortable with the term African-American, as Italians prefer Italian American, Irish prefer Irish American, and so forth. We have a U.S. president that is the literal definition of African-American. And it doesn't matter if you can't tell whether someone is African-American. I use that term, as well as Black.

  32. #32
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    6,340
    Rep Power
    346
    Quote Originally Posted by jillfoster View Post
    "African American" is totally ridiculous. Whoopi Goldberg says she don't like it either, she says when you "hyphenate" her, it's like your'e tryin to tell her she's not 100 percent american. Black to me is what has always been the standard, short, sweet, one syllable and all inclusive. Ain't no damn body can tell by looking at someone whether they really are "african american" or actual africans. Actually, I'm told that Africans get offended when people call them "African american". Black people come from all over, Jamaica, Dominicans, even Europe and England, Maxine Nightingale sure ain't no "african american".
    No offense meant but arent you a white man jillfoster? If thats the case im not real sure your opinion matter much on this subject as youll never be called Black or African American. I happen to think African American is respectful but thats only my opinion.

    Roberta
    Last edited by Roberta75; 08-30-2014 at 04:04 PM.

  33. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,798
    Rep Power
    350
    An article in a newspaper this week mentioned that an acting role was to be offered to a "non-Caucasian".

  34. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    That narrows it down without offending anyone, doesn't it?

  35. #35
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,741
    Rep Power
    204
    Quote Originally Posted by timmyfunk View Post
    Says you. I happen to be very comfortable with the term African-American, as Italians prefer Italian American, Irish prefer Irish American, and so forth. We have a U.S. president that is the literal definition of African-American. And it doesn't matter if you can't tell whether someone is African-American. I use that term, as well as Black.
    I used to go to Italy quite frequently and I don't think that I ever met any Italians there who thought of themselves as being "Italian-American".

    Similarly, i used to go to Ireland a lot and I think that the Irish people there would have ben grossy offended if I had insisted that they were "Irish-American".

    Seriously ... why don't you people in the 50 States just call yourselves "American" .. it is what the rest of the world sees you as being!!

    Roger

  36. #36
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    28,614
    Rep Power
    642
    Roger, most Italians have heritage that is based in that country, as are most Irish, French, Chinese, etc. In contrast, most Americans' lineages are in other countries and identification with their roots [[and communities) served important social roles in a country full of immigrants. The only true 'Americans' are those native to this continent.

    There is no need for native Italians to refer to their immigrant heritage because they don't have one.

    Plus, in this country we need ways to lift ourselves up, and since merit doesn't provide an unfair advantage, we rise by lowering others. Those titles that we give ourselves help us discriminate and hate by telling us who is different from ourselves. Once we know who the boogie men are, it's easier to rationalize why we treat them differently.
    Last edited by Jerry Oz; 08-30-2014 at 08:11 PM.

  37. #37
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by timmyfunk View Post
    Says you. I happen to be very comfortable with the term African-American, as Italians prefer Italian American, Irish prefer Irish American, and so forth. We have a U.S. president that is the literal definition of African-American. And it doesn't matter if you can't tell whether someone is African-American. I use that term, as well as Black.
    I will never be totally comfortable with "African-American", but that is just me. We are not a monolith, obviously. We all have our own opinions and what each of us prefer to be called.
    Last edited by soulster; 08-30-2014 at 10:01 PM.

  38. #38
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by roger View Post

    Seriously ... why don't you people in the 50 States just call yourselves "American" .. it is what the rest of the world sees you as being!!
    It's about cultural identification, Roger. Sure, we're Americans, but, since this country [[and Canada) is made up of so many ethnicities, many of whom are relative immigrants with strong transitions, want to retain the culture of their ancestors. To lose that identity is to become generic. To be blunt, it means losing that identity to the dominant culture [[European caucasian). So, ancestral identification is important to most Americans, be it Italian, Polish, Mexican, or African. To ignore those identifiers is an insult. When someone complains about people not just calling themselves "Americans", it is a way of them saying "Why don't you just act like us?".
    Last edited by soulster; 08-30-2014 at 10:02 PM.

  39. #39
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    10,473
    Rep Power
    311
    The word[negro]is an american bastardization of the portuguese word[azenegu]which means black,but as we[blacks]were moved out of africa to other parts of the world the name went through changes with little or no respect intended.

  40. #40
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    5,917
    Rep Power
    241
    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    The word[negro]is an american bastardization of the portuguese word[azenegu]which means black,but as we[blacks]were moved out of africa to other parts of the world the name went through changes with little or no respect intended.
    Jai, I'm familiar with the term Azenegue refering to blacks in West Africa and their relationships with the Portugese; colonisation I should say, but Negro, I've undestood to
    directly come from Negra in Spanish which means black. Spain brought slaves to and/or
    colonised most of the Americas which is why Spanish in some variations is spoken from
    Mexico ,Puerto Rico and Cuba to Argentina, Columbia and Peru. Portugal basically only
    captured Brazil but they brought as many slaves as were brought to America and colonised
    inland African countries like Mozambique as well as the Cape Verde Islands [[which BTW
    gave us the parents of Tavares).Negra is the term most bastardized today...with pride no less..

  41. #41
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    10,473
    Rep Power
    311
    Negra was used by slave owners in the antibellum south,so it ain't cool,for those of you who wonder why we use the designation[african american]you have to understand that africans were brought to this country in chians,unlike other folks that left of thier own free will.

  42. #42
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Most of us are aware of the history of "negra", but I still don't care for "African-American", especially since it excludes the other parts of my heritage, no matter how they may have come to be. And, the truth is that not all Black Americans came over in chains.

    In short, our true history in this country is one that has not been documented well. All we know about is slavery.

  43. #43
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    10,473
    Rep Power
    311
    I dig what you're saying,i'm cool with[black american] yes there were blacks who came before 1619,but as a whole we come over here on the mayflower.

  44. #44
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    10,473
    Rep Power
    311
    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    i dig what you're saying,i'm cool with[black american] yes there were blacks who came before 1619,but as a whole we come over here on the mayflower.
    i meant we didn't come over on the mayflower.

  45. #45
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    i meant we didn't come over on the mayflower.
    You had me worried there!

    We were on the Mayflower as servants and mistresses. It's also silly to think that there were never African explorers who found this land. With the close proximity the North American continent is to Africa, it's not such a hard thing to realize. Sailing the ocean didn't start with the Europeans. The American Indians were not the very first inhabitants here, either. The history of the U.S. is so twisted and inaccurate it ain't funny! But, make no mistake: African slavery was much worse than is acknowledged.

  46. #46
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    10,473
    Rep Power
    311
    Yep,history is still being discovered and the real facts will never be known,it is said that the indians were here 13,000 yrs before anyone else again according to history,maybe the norsemen were around too maybe.

  47. #47
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    Yep,history is still being discovered and the real facts will never be known,it is said that the indians were here 13,000 yrs before anyone else again according to history,maybe the norsemen were around too maybe.
    Archeologists and others who study world history can piece a lot of the real facts. There is nothing we can't discover. It just takes time and the willingness to find the truth.

  48. #48
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,798
    Rep Power
    350
    The number of different language families spoken by American Indians could push back the date of their arrival to 50,000 years ago.

  49. #49
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,741
    Rep Power
    204
    Quote Originally Posted by 144man View Post
    The number of different language families spoken by American Indians could push back the date of their arrival to 50,000 years ago.
    Interesting theory 144man .. some Anthropologists believe that the earliest human inhabitants of the Americas were closely related to The Australian Aborigines.

    There is an interesting article at The National Geographic from 2003 that adds credence to this ....

    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...bajaskull.html

    Not to mention this Time-Life/BBC documentary from 1999 ...



    Regarding "The Mayflower", I find it difficult to believe that there were any "Servants" or "Mistresses" on board the ship as it was manned by strict Puritan/Protestants who would not have approved of such things. Leaving that aside, why is it that so much importance is given to events in 1620 with "The Mayflower" and Plymouth, Massachussetts when the first English colonies in what is now the United States were actually created in Virginia a dozen or so years earlier. Indeed, one of them ... Jamestown, Virginia, founded on May 14th 1607, is still inhabited to this day .. this link has some of the history ....

    http://www.apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=6

    For those who are interested, the link states that the first documented arrival of Africans in what is now the U.S.A. was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 [[one year before the arrival of "The Mayflower") when a Dutch Captain traded some "servants" for food.

    Roger

  50. #50
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,552
    Rep Power
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by roger View Post
    Regarding "The Mayflower", I find it difficult to believe that there were any "Servants" or "Mistresses" on board the ship as it was manned by strict Puritan/Protestants who would not have approved of such things. Leaving that aside, why is it that so much importance is given to events in 1620 with "The Mayflower" and Plymouth, Massachussetts when the first English colonies in what is now the United States were actually created in Virginia a dozen or so years earlier. Indeed, one of them ... Jamestown, Virginia, founded on May 14th 1607, is still inhabited to this day .. this link has some of the history ....

    http://www.apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=6

    For those who are interested, the link states that the first documented arrival of Africans in what is now the U.S.A. was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 [[one year before the arrival of "The Mayflower") when a Dutch Captain traded some "servants" for food.

    Roger
    The Puritans, who were protestants, had an enormous influence in the direction of this country, even today. They fled the church of England because of it, but they came here only to do the same.
    Last edited by soulster; 09-03-2014 at 12:56 PM.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

[REMOVE ADS]

Ralph Terrana
MODERATOR

Welcome to Soulful Detroit! Kindly Consider Turning Off Your Ad BlockingX
Soulful Detroit is a free service that relies on revenue from ad display [regrettably] and donations. We notice that you are using an ad-blocking program that prevents us from earning revenue during your visit.
Ads are REMOVED for Members who donate to Soulful Detroit. [You must be logged in for ads to disappear]
DONATE HERE »
And have Ads removed.