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blacklinguist

changing racial labels: from colored to negro to black to african american

summary + thoughts of an article by tom w. smith

what’s in a name ? this is actually part of the focus on my own work .. the power behind self-labeling, the ability of being able to stand in your identity / control that perception, and the strength fueling those choices

(p. 497)

something i’m trying to describe linguistically is the difference in ‘feel’ of the various terms used to describe Black people in America. each one comes with its own set of contexts, and attached to those frames are emotions and assumptions from those being labeled with the terms, as well as those using the terms.

(p. 497)

what does it mean to be a STRONGER word ? what does negro capture that African/Colored do not? undoubtably, negro speaks specifically to a Black individual, whereas both African/Colored can relate to nonBlack individuals. but is it stronger solely because it’s ‘etymologically and phonetically’ better, or is there some social weight to differ between them?

(p. 499)

beyond this, Black was “a great balance and antonym against white”, with a similar feeling of ‘power’ (of course, Black Power!). it was, the antithesis to white (Doris Wilkinson, 1990). initially being seen as a radical term, Black was popular with younger folk, while negro could have been construed as more ‘refined’ (respectability politics might have played a part in this as well).

however then, the negative side of using Black would be the ties to Black as evil, Black as dirty, Black as tainted, Black as unholy. the linguistic ties of the word Black in English and in countless other languages as the color of everything foul and corrupt. This was a concern of Ramona H. Edelin:

(p. 503)

Black people in America have the constant question of our culture and ‘place’ in this society. Though ‘having a place’ is not the focus of my own studies (nor do I want that–I’m not interested in fitting in), there is something to be said for wanting a connection to those abstract and illusive ‘roots’ that other ethnic groups hold so tightly onto. Another thread (also beyond the scope of my own interests) is the depth of Black culture that we have already, and reconciling that with the desire to ‘go back’. At what point do we stop going back / stop reaching for what is lost? I digress

what is in a name? a desire for a homeland, for a ‘haven’. for something of comfort:

(p. 507)

African American also brings into play the ‘hyphenated American’ problem. That your identity lies in two different hands, in the case of the Black person, in the abstract and complex idea of ‘home’ (a CONTINENT) vs your current location which in many ways rejects your very existence (redacted lemme not get in trouble with how I describe the US).

i end w this:

if it is truly nothing, then why have we fought for so long to be addressed in the ways in which we are addressed ? why do we fight for our birth names to be spoken and written in all their glory, not hidden behind shallow nicknames that are ‘easily pronounceable’ for those who do not respect us?

it is not only sticks and stones that can break my bones. my words, and the words of those around me hold just as much power (proverbs 18:21)