Why I'm Black, Not African American

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-0e-mcwhorter8sep08,1,1098395.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions
COMMENTARY
Why I'm Black, Not African American
By John McWhorter

September 8, 2004

It's time we descendants of slaves brought to the United States let go of the term "African American" and go back to calling ourselves Black — with a capital B.

Modern America is home now to millions of immigrants who were born in Africa. Their cultures and identities are split between Africa and the United States. They have last names like Onwughalu and Senkofa. They speak languages like Wolof, Twi, Yoruba and Hausa, and speak English with an accent. They were raised on African cuisine, music, dance and dress styles, customs and family dynamics. Their children often speak or at least understand their parents' native language.

Living descendants of slaves in America neither knew their African ancestors nor even have elder relatives who knew them. Most of us worship in Christian churches. Our cuisine is more southern U.S. than Senegalese. Starting with ragtime and jazz, we gave America intoxicating musical beats based on African conceptions of rhythm, but with melody and harmony based on Western traditions.

Also, we speak English. Black Americans' home speech is largely based on local dialects of England and Ireland. Africa echoes in the dialect only as a whisper, in certain aspects of sound and melody. A working-class black man in Cincinnati has more in common with a working-class white man in Providence than with a Ghanaian.

With the number of African immigrants in the U.S. nearly tripling since 1990, the use of "African American" is becoming increasingly strained. For example, Alan Keyes, the Republican Senate candidate in Illinois, has claimed that as a descendant of slaves, he is the "real" African American, compared with his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, who has an African father and white mother. And the reason Keyes and others are making arguments such as this is rather small, the idea being that "African American" should refer only to people with a history of subordination in this country — as if African immigrants such as Amadou Diallo, who was killed by police while reaching for his wallet, or Caribbean ones such as torture victim Abner Louima have found the U.S. to be the Land of Oz. <snip>

[liontamer]

1. interesting post

My parents are immigrants so it's always odd when they're counted as african, but I'm counted as african american as if my ethnicity changed dramatically based on where my mom was in march regardless of where she was in october. That's probably why I prefer to be called black. Otherwise you can count a half dozen different ethnicities just among my first cousins.

It'd doubly annoying because this doesn't happen with people of other backgrounds.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. I always call myself black

I wasn't born in Africa, so I don't call myself african-american. Besides, it's takes too long to write.

[Kahuna]

3. As a black American I think it's way past time to stop this canard...

American blacks with a long history in this country are not "African Americans." African-Americans are immigrants from Africa. I'm not an immigrant. And I'm not African. :shrug: Jesse Jackson came up with this label to build a political base of all black Americans regardless of where they came from. I understand his reasoning, but it is a incorrect to refer to black Americans or West Indians as, "African Americans." So as usual with Jesse Jackson, while his intentions are well meaning, he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Hell! I even didn't mind being called "Afro-American" back in the day. That eluded to having African roots. Which I do have. But I'm not African. I also have european and native American roots. So do the people who decided that we should be refered to as, African-Americans.

[fudge stripe cookays]

4. Thanks for posting this, papau.

I have such great love and respect for my black friends.

I was raised in a very racist household when I was young, and finally realized the crap that was being foisted upon me as a young white woman when I got to college. I turned my mother from a mean racist Republican into a Democrat with an awakening social conscience.

And about 10 years ago, I took a job in downtown Dallas, where I was a minority compared to the hundreds of blacks and Latinos I worked with. That job taught me so much about working with different groups of people and cultures, since I'd been pretty sheltered my whole life.

Since that job, I have always tried my hardest to be as respectful and caring as I can. I never wanted to risk offending anyone by using the wrong word. It's nice to know opinions do vary.

FSC

[papau]

5. Glad you found the article as interesting as I did!

:-)

[Kahuna]

7. Article hell! I didn't even the whole article. This is a minor pet peeve

of mine that I have mentioned on DU a couple of times.

[papau]

12. a minor pet peeve? - my variation is folks not realizing there is no

scientific concept called "race"

There is skin color and village and perhaps culture -

but "race" does not now and never has existed.

Indeed in the 50's they renamed a few diseases so as to not offend those with light colored skin - sickle cell anemia became "Mediterranean anemia" - just so you knew they were not questioning your "race" - - :-(

LOL - God - to be biased requires so much stupidity. :-(

As Rove said - when folks pointed out that the highly educated one was, the more likely to vote Dem - "there is such a thing as too much education" - at least for the GOP

:toast:

:-)

[Virginian]

6. Is Theresa Heinz Kerry African American?

She was born in Africa and fled as a refugee from Communism.
She is more familiar with the African cultures of Mozambique than most Black Americans are.

[Kahuna]

9. Yes. She is. Moreso than I am.

nt

[goclark]

11. Mama T can define herself

I have not heard her say that she is African American.
She probably thinks of herself as a White person that was born in Africa. Just because she now lives in America doesn't mean she thinks of herself that way.

Think about it this way: If Theresa lived in England would she be an African American? NO!

If I moved to England or France I would probably be called Black or African American.I would certain not believe that I was French or English. My cousin lives in England. He was born here. He thinks of himself as African American or Black and a citizen of England.

The Republicans are so quick to say she is Black or African American.They call her some other names in private I am sure.

Again, IF SHE LIVED IN ENGLAND,WOULD SHE BE AFRICAN AMERICAN?
NO,NO, NO.

If she is asked that question,IMO, her response should be:" Thank you for asking! First of all, I have an enormous respect and love for African Americans,their continuing struggle to gain their equality touches my heart and my soul. I want them to know that I am their Mama T!"

"I am proud to now be American since I became a citizen in 19--.
Before that I lived in Africa and was labeled in that society as White."

"When John becomes President and I am labeled First Lady, I want to be thought of as "Mama T" to everyone in America and to the rest of the world. That is who I am. Label me a humanitarian, label me compassionate, label me a drum major for justice, label me an Environmentalist, label me a loving wife and loving Mom...Mama T!"

:loveya:

[silverpatronus]

21. i have heard...

that mrs. heinz kerry does indeed self-identify as african-american.

[silverpatronus]

22. dupe...

[jaysunb]

8. Poor John...

Still begging white folks to love him. Still trying to divert attention from the real issues that our people must face on a daily basis.
It must be tough to be so , "conflicted".

[alarcojon]

15. Yeah, isn't this the guy

who wrote "Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America"?

[goclark]

10. My take on it

I have lived long enough to have White people refer to my people as niggers,slaves,worthless,colored,darkies,ghetto,uneducated,Black,
Negro and now African American.

Most of the African Americans/Blacks don't resist calling themselves those two labels. Nor do most of us consider Whites calling us either of those two labels.

Now,the other labels are usually "fighting words" if Whites refer to us in those terms. In our social groups, and sometimes in public we use the "N" word-in my view too much. A person of another ethnicity better be real real careful to use that word. That is still a real sore spot IMO.

Since I am African American I can feel comfortable giving my opinion to Alan Keyes. I would NOT want a White person to say this to him:
" Your ancestors had to kiss their Masters butt, too bad you didn't get the message, Slavery ended in 1865 and you are STILL doing your Masters work."

On Obama: He can call himself anything he wants to, Alan Keyes doesn't have the right to define Obama! He does have the right to define himself.

[8-6-PDB]

13. Black man

I have never referred to myself as African-American. Even when Jesse started using that label, I declined to accept it, and I was a HUGE Jesse fan back in the day.

I was born Black, have lived Black, and will die Black...

[alarcojon]

14. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[stevedeshazer]

16. I'm American. Period.

Okay, I am White. Should I be referred to as a "Euro-American"? :silly:

We are all Americans. Except those from other countries who post here.

Hey Black Canadians! Are you "African-Canadian"?

[Djinn]

20. that's what I don't get

why does everyone else apart from Americans from Northern European backgrounds have to have a hyphen or a seperate description.

[Catfight]

17. Any black people on DU? It seems very white to me. I'd love to

get more diversity on this site.

[liontamer]

18. well

It's hard to tell ethnicity over the internet. I think the site is rather diverse

[alarcojon]

19. It seems we have several on this thread

and I'm Latino