US Census officials say they added “Negro” to the 2010 US Census because many older black Americans were confused by the options of African-Am./Black and wrote in “Negro.”
Question number nine now provides the following answer choice: “Black, African Am., or Negro.” Many are offended by the inclusion of this word on the Census.

In another story the book Game Change by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann reports on comments made my Harry Reid. “He (Reid) was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama – a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.’ Though Reid apologized and President Obama later forgave his comments, Reid got a lot of criticism for his choice of words.

“Negro” is getting a lot of attention lately.

Last week I listened to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” He used the word Negro repeatedly to describe Black Americans. His message overrode any uncomfortableness with the word and he was such an elegant speaker that I found nothing derogatory about anything he said.

Usually though when I think of the “Negro, images of fire hoses, lynchings, Klan sheets, cross burnings and “Negro Only” signs come to mind. We all know how powerful words are when we attach them to experiences, symbols and images.

What images come to mind when you hear the word Negro? Do you consider it as bad as the “N” word? What do you think of the US Census adding the word? Let’s talk…

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