Why must we criticize someone’s preference of how they view themselves. If I want to call myself African American then what is the problem to you. Some of you who oppose this term make it seem like I am downplaying myself for wanting to be addressed as such. Me visiting a place has nothing to do with it. It is MY identity and when I check off on an application it does not say check if you are American, it says (black or from African origin, Caucasian (not Hispanic etc.))
The Soul Patrol criticizes me for viewing myself as conservative every damn day.
But you won't tackle that one.If I want to call myself African American then what is the problem to you. Some of you who oppose this term make it seem like I am downplaying myself for wanting to be addressed as such.
You want to lie to yourself, that's your business. But don't expect me to be complicent in your self-delusion.
I was born in Indiana. Are some of my ancestors from Africa? Yes. Actually, as best as my research can determine, north Africa, most likely Morocco. But some of my ancestors are from Ireland, some from Scotland, some from France, and some from Spain. And, unlike those who toss out the "we came from kings" line like some kind of badge of honor, I have determined that I am a direct descendant of an Indian Chieftain that ruled over most of what is now the southeastern portion of the United States (Chief Tuskaloosa of the Chocktaw) more than 500 years ago.
Does that mean that I have to fit Jesse Jackson's pigeon-holed description of an "African" American? Considering that he coined the term, and force-fed it down the mouths of the American public, and considering the miniscule amount of respect I have for the man, I'm sure you'll excuse me if I don't buy into the delusion.
"Black" is best, because it is more universal. What about a black French West Indian, for example, who is certainly not an African-American (and adamantly dislikes the term because she does not want to be identified as "American" at all, since she ISN'T)? "Black" works for her. It also works for Africans, and there are more and more of them in the states. It works when speaking of white/black issues in South Africa. It works for Jamaicans and Brazilians and Canadian blacks who are not American and don't want to be labelled as such. It works in Europe, where there are plenty of blacks in France and England too, but very few are African-American expatriates.
Black is the more universal and therefore better term.