Hello World!!! 
With all of the focus on the word “negro” this year from the 2010 Census to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid’s description of President Obama as a “‘light-skinned’ African American with ‘no Negro dialect’ unless he wanted to have one,” I have started thinking about how black people refer to themselves. And how you choose to refer to yourself in spite of or because of how others refer to you.
Tiger Woods has famously referred to himself as “Cablinasian.” I wonder if he is now retreating in Cablinasia while all of this media fervor continues….We have had so many names in country… in no particular order, negroid, colored, Afro American and now African American…Radio host Glenn Beck has a problem with the term African American…Since my heritage is Jamaican and I was born in Kansas, I sometimes call myself a Jamerican…Since I’m a single black woman, some may think of me as doomed — let ABC ‘s “Nightline” tell it…
Above my race, heritage, and marital status, I refer to myself as a Christian…And as a Christian, I like to reflect on how Jesus, rather than the world, sees me…
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37
I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon. Song of Solomon 1:5 (If I were the writer of this verse, I would say black and lovely…) Song of Solomon 1:5
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that
full well. Psalm 139:14
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
As I have said before, I am no theologian. So if you know of some more verses, please comment and let me know what they are…
Any thoughts?
P.S. I love dreadlocks…to me, there is nothing to be dreaded about them….
Me...aside from the obligatory pimple or pimples I seem to always sport these days, I love this pic of me...fearfully and wonderfully made, yes indeed!
You ARE beautiful, Jackie. No doubt about that. I showed some of my web design students your blog and they immediately said, “Oh! I know her! She’s a famous singer, isn’t she?”
As one journalist writing to another journalist, I have a practical question: do you have a preferred term to be used by the media — black? African-American? Something else entirely? Does it vary with context?
Thanks so much Tess! You are beautiful too! (Of course, we are biased!) So your students thought I was a famous singer…I wonder whom they were thinking of…that’s great!
And to your questions. I like either black or African American and of the two, I prefer black…not sure why…maybe just because of its simplicity…and I think people can refer to themselves however they like — even if its an annoying term like “Casblinasian…”
Good information, thanks! : )
Let’s face it. All Negroid people are of African decent. Some stopped in the other countries before entering this country. Nonetheless still African. What is interesting is, I’m not sure who is perpetuating the barrage of names. Clearly Negroid peoples who reside in other countries don’t face these problems. They are not African Brazilians; African Bajans; African Jamaicans; African Brits…well you get my point. So! Is it others who don’t want to simply refer to Negroid folks as Americans, or is it us? Like Tiger, no matter what we struggle to label ourselves, everybody else know what/who we are. Take that however you may. I am an American of African decent. As for the rest whatever the flavor of the season is, I’m OK. Anytime names define who a person is, That person is already in trouble. Just a thought.
Nice picture, pimple and all 🙂
You’re right…Black people in other countries don’t seem to have these same problems…and thanks for the compliment 🙂
I love the title of the entry! 🙂 The bottom line is learning to stop buying into media images and seeing ourselves as God created us — no matter what that is – tall, short, light, dark, young, old, etc., One of my favorite scriptures is, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Eccl. 3:11)
Yeah, the title just came to me as I was reminiscing about the infamous Dr. Pepper commercial lol