We went from n*gger to colored to negro to black To afro then african-american...

[YaThreadFloppedB!]

powerful stuff.
everyone is Black...everyone is African.


everyone is a nikka...too bad so many people deny it.

TFU
everybody wants to be a nikka but nobody wants to be a nikka.

You're not a nikka. If I was walking down the hall and you were walking past me... I wouldnt give you a head nod that I would my other brothers so much is said and understood in that simple gesture that your cac mind would explode at its revelation

 

[Serious]

yeah, i try not be too judgmental but how can a person be black and have no connection to africa, what on earth does that mean? most people that think that way at end of the day the name they prefer is usually nikka, african american sounds to sophisticated and alien for their tastes

Yep, get into a disagreement with any non-black person and see how quick they are to let that word fly

 

[Brown_Pride]

That's true about the european origins of the words but African American is still genetically and geographically accurate, the problem with black is that it has no geographic significance so it doesn't really mean anything

If you ask the question where are black people from you will end up using foreign names anyways, asiatic is certainly not an African word, but whatever word or words you use to describe black people it will always come down to the land masses that are currently referred to as Africa and America becuase that's is the most accurate description

if that's the criteria, originating in Africa, at what point is someone not allowed to claim "african decent" as we all originate from the same continent....africa.

 

[OsO]

race is a social construct.

and a destructive one at that.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Word.

Would ya'll prefer American-Africans to African-Americans?

I'm first generation, I look at people funny when they go too hard with the "I'm not African " talk. Black people come from Africa. Thats why you're black...

American African to me is more accurate. We're all Americans culturally and in terms of our national ties but if you black then somewhere along the line you were African as well. More to the point, to me there's more pride in linking oneself with the cradle of humankind and civilization than there is linking oneself to a color that hardly describes the plethora of hues that fall under "Black".

When we acknowledge we're black or nikkaz, that's just in the context of this particular society. Beyond that we're Africans, even if it's removed by several generations. And if someone brings the argument of being mixed with other races, keep in mind that a lot of Africans ended up that way as well due to colonialism. So the mixed shyt is a moot point.

 

[mbewane]

While it's true that most "African"-Americans have never been to Africa, every time I hear a black person use that as a reason for why they don't like the designation, it seems like they're unduly proud of their American heritage and are on some Uncle Tom "I ain'ts no African. I's an American just like you, Mr Boss Man!" BS.

It's ridiculous to me to focus negative attention on the term African-American when there are much worse terms that would take priority in my mind as far as what we should disavow (i.e. "******, nikka").

I'm not American myself (I'm Belgian-Centralafrican) and I can def understand why black people in America would refuse to be called African-American, indeed most have never been to Africa, have no direct links to it and will never go there. To each his own, but I can't be mad at a black american not wanting to be called "african", do black Brazilians call themselves Afro-Brazilians? Don't think so?

 

[Sierra Mist]

How about American? No other group says they are "Asian American" or "European American." It's stupid and makes blacks seem "alien" as if they can't be true Americans.

 

[theworldismine13]

if that's the criteria, originating in Africa, at what point is someone not allowed to claim "african decent" as we all originate from the same continent....africa.

on 23andme.com the way they classify is by the typical population of the continents of 500 years ago when there was very little inter continental travel, that makes sense to me

so if you think you can trace your ancestors to africa circa 1500 AD then you too can be an african american

race is a social construct.

and a destructive one at that.

human species having genetic differences is not a social construct, its very real and it came about as human populations became physically isolated for thousands of years

its true you can interpret those differences in different ways, as in brazil vs united states for example, but the underlying genetic differences of humans from different continent is very real

 

[theworldismine13]

How about American? No other group says they are "Asian American" or "European American." It's stupid and makes blacks seem "alien" as if they can't be true Americans.

i always hear this and im confused by it, asian american, irish america, italian america etc is widely used, you must live under a rock, when JFK was elected president he was hailed as the first irish american elected for example

the 2 main white groups that dont get hyphenated are WASPs, white anglo saxon protestant and rednecks, but immigrant whites and asians have always been referred to with hyphenations

so saying african american would actually normalize black people as another immigrant group