#AfricanAmerican #BlackHistory #RaceRelations #SocialJustice
In today’s society, the language we use to refer to different racial and ethnic groups is constantly evolving. As a white person, navigating these changes can be challenging and sometimes even uncomfortable. One of the most common questions that arises is whether the term “African American” is still politically correct or if “black” is a more acceptable alternative. Let’s delve into this issue and explore the implications of these labels.
## The Problem: Is “African American” out of fashion?
As a white person, I ask this question in all earnestness. When engaging in conversations about race and ethnicity, it’s critical to use language that is respectful and considerate. However, with shifting societal norms and preferences, it can be confusing to determine the most appropriate term to use.
## Understanding the Concerns: Acceptability of “black”
In recent years, there has been a growing movement advocating for the use of “black” over “African American” for several reasons:
– **Inclusivity:** While “African American” traditionally refers to Black Americans with African ancestry, the term “black” is more encompassing and inclusive of the diverse experiences within the Black community.
– **Empowerment:** Some individuals within the Black community feel that “black” carries a sense of pride and empowerment, reclaiming a term historically used in a derogatory manner.
– **Simplicity:** “Black” is often seen as a more straightforward and concise descriptor compared to the somewhat cumbersome “African American.”
## Practical Solutions: Navigating the Language Landscape
When engaging in conversations about race and ethnicity, it’s essential to be mindful of the language you use. Here are some practical tips to help you navigate this complex terrain:
1. **Ask for Preferences:** If you are unsure about which term to use, it’s always best to ask the individual how they prefer to be identified. Respect their choice and adjust your language accordingly.
2. **Cultural Sensitivity:** Be mindful of the historical context and connotations associated with different terms. Educate yourself on the significance of language in shaping perceptions and attitudes.
3. **Context Matters:** Consider the setting in which you are using these terms. While “African American” may be more appropriate in formal or academic settings, “black” may be preferred in casual conversations.
4. **Stay Open to Learning:** Language is fluid, and societal norms are constantly evolving. Stay open to feedback and be willing to adjust your language choices based on new insights and perspectives.
Ultimately, the key to effectively navigating this language landscape is to approach discussions with empathy, openness, and a genuine desire to foster mutual understanding and respect.
By being attentive to the concerns and preferences of individuals within the Black community, we can contribute to a more inclusive and respectful dialogue about race and ethnicity in our society. Remember, words have power, and it’s crucial to use them thoughtfully and respectfully.
Let’s continue to engage in meaningful conversations and strive for a more just and equitable world for all.
🌍💬✊ #LanguageMatters #Inclusivity #RacialJustice #RespectfulDialogue
Not sure if out of fashion is the right term, but yeah most people I know just say black. For one thing, the world is very global now, you don’t know they are actually African American.
Black is acceptable. A black person is not always African American
“African-American” is a cultural group, “black” is a race. Basically all African-Americans are black, but not all blacks are African-Americans.
There’s no universal consensus, no “Grand Council of Black People” laying things down, but Black (frequently capitalized, like Asian) is actually an increasingly-preferred term in the US, rather than African-American or similar. The idea is that being Black in the US carries its own unique cultural heritage these days, separate and distinct from where their ancestors lived centuries ago and got culturally separated from. It’s also more inclusive of Black people who don’t consider themselves to have direct ties to Africa to begin with, such as people who came to the US by way of the Caribbean nations.
African-American isn’t necessarily bad, but it is sort of out of style. As many black Americans have pointed out, they’ve never been to Africa. Their families have been here just as long or longer than the families of white Americans.
In most academic work you’d look at today, you’d just see the demographic represented as “black,” or for the United States, “black Americans.”
“African American” has qualifiers that make it less inclusive than intended.
You can be white and from Africa. You can be from Africa but not currently be in America. You can be black in America, but not have close family lineage to Africa.
Black is acceptable but when you pluralize you should say “black people” instead of “blacks”.
Not all Black people are African or American. Not all Black Americans are of African descent.
Examples: Idris Elba (he’s British), Jodie Turner Smith (she’s British and Jamaican), Usain Bolt (he’s Jamaican), Roberto Clemente (he’s Puerto Rican), David Ortiz/Big Papi (he’s Dominican).
There’s a lot of people who would identify as Black Americans but not as African American because they aren’t African. A lot of people whose family background is Puerto Rican, Dominican, Jamaican, Caribbean, and South and Central American are dark skinned.
Always wondered why most white people in the U.S. weren’t conversely referred to as “European Americans” since that’s where something like 98% of white people are able to link their ancestry to…
I’m more of a beige. But you can use whatever term you like I don’t really care.
African American was always a cringy attempt at political correctness especially since not all black people in The US descended from Africa. There is not now nor has there ever been anything wrong with being black or white.
For a lot of “us”, it was never in fashion. We were never asked our opinion on it.
Personally, I never cared for it.
I’m good referring to myself as a Black American.
People have stopped using it so much because it simply doesn’t “add up”. It was a sort of fad in the 80s/90s as black Americans embraced African ancestry to try and form a connection with an identity in this country other than slavery.
Today it doesn’t resonate because more recent generations (aka not Boomers) have a more global viewpoint and identities reflect that.
1. Black people born in American are not from Africa, they are from America, so black Americans make more sense.
2. Quite a few black people coming to America are not from a place called “Africa”, they are from any one of the Africa countries like Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, etc.
3. There are black people all over the world, so calling a black woman who was born in France and lived there her whole life an “African American” is dumb.
So black people in any country are more likely just “black”. In the US maybe “black Americans” or maybe just their actual birth heritage – like Congolese, or Puerto Rican, or British.
That’s a good question and a fair one. Use Black, we’re not all descended from the people originally enslaved in America. I’m descended from the people that the British forced into slavery in Jamaica.
Some people do not want to be called African American because it lumps them into a single group and robs them of their past.
I am by no means suggesting that this applies to all black people, but every black person I know refers to themselves as black, not African American.
The black people in my life have told me that’s their preferred term so I’ll stick with that.
Please call me black.
Just from experience the only people I’ve ever heard use the term “African American” are white people trying to be PC to the point where it gets weird.
For example, in high school a world history class was covering apartheid South Africa, the teacher described there being white south Africans and African American South Africans.
I say black.
Everyone I know says black… including black people
i prefer the term black, because i don’t really have any connection to Africa besides my ancestors, so i don’t see the point of making it apart of my identity. also black people come from more places than just Africa
I use both..
Sincerely, a black African-American woman
There are black people not from Africa, and there are white African Americans.
I prefer and only accept, Black.
Black is perfectly acceptable everywhere. You can’t tell by sight if a black person is African or not, black people come from lots of other places.
I was told to use the term black, however only when absolutely necessary to mention race. Otherwise there isn’t any need to describe a person’s race. For example. I was speaking to this lady the other day. You don’t need to say black lady, just like you don’t need to say Catholic lady, or short lady or whatever description unless that description is necessary for the story to make sense. You aren’t writing a book and need good character development, so leave race out just as you would leave anything other description out that isn’t pertinent to get your across.
I wouldn’t sweat it. As long as you don’t use the N-word, people aren’t likely to freak out.
Hi, Pan-Africana major here. The discourse on what to call black Americans is a long debate with no winners. The current factions are:
1. Black
2. African Americans
3. Americans
4. Africans
5. Black Americans
6. People of Color
All of those terms are valid, but not interchangeable. Someone who calls themselves an African American may find the term African offensive, while someone who uses the term African will probably not like to be called American in any fashion. Also they change depending on political climate and specific community.
Tl:dr just use whatever your friends tell you they are
All of the black people I know would take offence to being called “African American” since they’re neither African nor American.
Gotta say, it never caught on in the UK
I myself am white and I asked my partner this who is black and he told me that he didn’t like being called “African American” because he wasn’t from Africa and he was just a black dude.
I never liked it. I’m American. If I must be identified by my race, just call me Black. It’s sufficient
There’s nothing African about (the majority of) black Americans.
African American was basically a short fad. Black was before and is apparently after. Its a more positive, empowered term that replaced “colored” and “negro” both of which were much more associated with slurs and oppression.
African American is more of an academic/technical term now, black is generally accepted.
However, saying “the Blacks” as a noun may be construed as racist since you are reducing people down to just their color. However saying it as an adjective “e.g. Black History Month, Black people, Black culture” is acceptable.
Also, if someone is black but not a US citizen they are black but not African American. There are recent African immigrants to the US and that would make them African-Americans by definition, but there is an idea that African-American is its own distinct culture, so these new immigrants would be Nigerian-Americans, Ethiopian-Americans, etc. However, they are all black.
always thought it was funny that when people try to be “politically correct” by using African American they’re actually just being more ignorant thinking every black American is from Africa, as if every single one just HAS to be descended from American slaves, and also that there are no white people in Africa.
African-American is so dismissive – Kenyan? Sudanese? Zimbabwean? Pfffft all the same to me – you’re African!
I don’t african american was ever really preferred. That was a term invented by white people to make white people feel better about white people.
You will know how sheltered you are about race when you ask questions like this. Good to ask and learn, but also good to reflect on why you would even have to ask.
I find it odd you call yourself “as a white person” but need to ask permission to use the word black to describe someone. Weird.