I haven’t seen any formal studies, but it seems like more people of all races, stature, political persuasions, and occupations are using the noun African-American instead of Blacks when making a reference to the racial group.
Not me.
My refusal to employ the term may be commendable if I had some logic or even invective against the identifying noun. Maybe I should disagree with it because most Blacks would not be able to trace their ancestry to a specific African nation. No, that wouldn’t be reasonable, since there is an authentic historical, logical, and spiritual bond to the African continent for most Black Americans.
Perhaps I am against the term because of its forced popularity among all Americans. Even those who disagree with the “hyphening” of specific Americans groups, such as Italian-Americans or Jewish-Americans, still find themselves preferring to use African-American more frequently. Aren’t we all just Americans? Why do we need to qualify it, especially when other groups don’t have to?A legitimate argument, for sure, but not the one that is driving me.
Do you recall the show “The Jeffersons” with George and Louise, formerly neighbors of Archie Bunker in "All in the Family"? There was an episode in which Louise’s Uncle Ward came by for a visit, got in a disagreement with the son Lionel, and had to explain how he needed time to get used to calling himself Black instead of Negro. And before that it was Colored to Negro. Was that a good rationale?Do I just need more time to adjust to the term African-American?
Nah, that’s not it either.
I really have just one reason I always say Black instead of using
African-American.
It’s a much shorter word.
