Negro, please!

As most have already heard, the Census Bureau is being crucified for their newly modified “Race” section on the 2010 Census questionnaire. Surprisingly, the category reserved for Black/African American US citizens has a new categorical addition- ‘Negro’. The United States of America has managed to move 1 step forward by electing its first black president and 2 steps backward with the addition of the term Negro to the 2010 Census form.

Never in my 23 years of existence have I ever been a Negro. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall ever meeting a Negro.  Honestly, Negroes haven’t existed since the end of the Civil Rights Movement. So why is this term being added to the 2010 Census form? Well, according to Jack Martin, Census Bureau spokesman,

“Many older African Americans identified themselves that way [as Negro], and many still do. Those who identify themselves as Negro need to be included.” 

Well Mr. Martin, I believe I am a bit confused. Black people lived through slavery and Jim Crow. We were 'Niggers' back then, remember? Then we lived through the illustrious Harlem Renaissance where we were called ‘Nigger’ and ‘Negro’ interchangeably. From there we moved right into the Civil Rights Movement where we became strictly ‘Negro’. After that was the Black Power Movement and we were ready to shoot anyone who called us anything other than ‘Black’ or ‘Afro-American’. Now we are living in a pseudo-post racial society where the only politically correct terms for us are Black and African American. So considering our forward movement in socio-ethic labeling, do you really think that your explanation for using the term Negro on the 2010 Census is going to be openly accepted? And really, how much of a difference is adding the term ‘Negro’ on the form going to make?

If I consider myself Black and I check the box for ‘Black, African Am., Negro” who is going to know which of the 3 I consider myself to be? No one.  An African American is nothing more than a Negro and a Negro is nothing more than a Black person in the eyes of the Census Bureau. All of these terms are the same. There is no differentiation between the 3 titles.

So what is the real problem with the term Negro? Here’s the answer, plain and simple—We, as a people, have moved past being called ‘Negro’ and on to better, more socially correct terminology. We are no longer ‘Negroes’ simply because that term is outdated and too closely associated with a dreadful time in our history. It’s as simple as that. So by giving life to this archaic and dead term, the Census Bureau has managed to remind us that we are nothing more than we ever were. We have moved forward only to move backward which leaves us right where we started—behind.

Let’s keep moving forward…

Jack Martin quote jacked from here,  Census Questionnaire jacked from here