A recent article on TheGrio.com notes that Question 9 on the 2010 Census asks a persons race. The choices? White; Black, African-American or Negro; American Indian or Alaska Native. There are also 11 other choices, plus an opportunity to write-in whatever you want to define or describe yourself.
According to a Census Bureau spokesperson, "Negro" was left on the form "after a number of respondents to the 2000 Census" opted to write in the term. Nevertheless, many folks, particularly young Blacks believe the term is "insulting and demeaning."
In the article, 25-year-old graduate student Taryn Anthony expressed displeasure: "I find the word 'Negro' to be quite offensive when it comes to the census and separating and differentiating among races because of the history of the use of the word. I've yet to hear someone use it in a respectable manner, so placing it on a census seems as yet another way to set back African-Americans."
What are your thoughts on this? Should the word "Negro" be on the 2010 Census? Do you find it offensive, insulting or demeaning?
2 comments:
Sometimes I think our race is too sensitive. What's wrong with the word Negro. In Spanish that means black. Now if they had n*gg*r on the survey, then I could see making a big deal. What is so offensive about Negro - the derivative of this word is what's bad. Old, racists took an actual word, Negro, and came up with their own derogatory version. That's what's offensive.
Black folk (Negro folk) need to just chill.
My sentiments exactly.
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