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I skimmed the pages and didn't see anything on this topic. Hopefully I didn't miss it.

I think it's very important for people to be able to self-identify as they choose. Insitutionalized racism has thrived in part because it assigns superificial value to the traits of one group and superficially devalues another. In short, it defines people on terms that are not their own.

There are many ways to self-define. Words are one, and perhaps one of the easiest. I've seen a lot of discussion about words recently, specifically words connected to black identity. For example, the debate on which is more correct: black/African *insert a country here*/afro-*insert a country here*, etc.

Here's my take. Race is not a monolith. If one person prefers black to African-*, so be it. Hopefully they have thought about the choice and what it means to be one over the other and can embrace one or both or some other term with pride. The main thing is that it's not for non-black people to stereotype and set the definition for black people, be it through words or actions. I don't care to have a say in what other races choose to call themselves. I will politely and happily ask someone how they identify, so as to avoid a misunderstanding, but the bottom line is that it's not my job to set that standard for another individual, much less an entire group of people. Nor is it anyone's job to do that work for me.

I've heard the African-* label catch a lot of flak because many black people cannot or do not trace their ancestry back to Africa. 400+ years of famiy units being undermined, undervalued, and destroyed, and there's no chance that the family tree might have gotten lost somewhere in the shuffle? Again, it's a personal choice, hopefully one that stems from careful consideration.

Here's the big one. Some words that were once a tool of definition from outside forces have been reclaimed by some individuals. I have a particular word in mind. You know which one. I have some strong feelings on this word:

1. I don't use it, unless I have to read Huck Finn aloud for some reason.
2. If other black persons choose to use it, that's their choice.
3. all non-black people who are truly committed to opposing racism will refrain from using it. It is a tool of oppression that has become a tool of self-definition for some of those it was once used against. It can't be decontextualized and made into a cute fuzzy word for anyone to throw around. It's use by non-black people is not cute, it is not revolutionary, and it is not original.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Anyone else?

I personally prefer the term 'black' as well. I think it better reflects the reality of the diaspora. My ancestors have not seen African soil in hundreds of years. My friend's parents, however, are both Yoruba and were born and raised in Nigeria. Our family histories are very different, but we are both black Americans, black people, and everything that those words entail.

I was so happy one day when looking at the art in a Reader's Digest and seeing that the artist painted black people, (so one may assume that the artist was black), but the caption said that the artist was "American." How refreshing.

That is cool. smile

Do you really think America will become more of a melting pot, though? I'm not even sure what that term means any more, nor am I sure that I think it's a desirable outcome. I'm not advocating cultural separatism either, but I really don't have a desire to melt into mainstream America, and I'm pretty sure mainstream America doesn't want to melt into me...

3nodding Well-said. I agree.
Ah...how refreshing to have intelligent conversation... ^^