Afro-?

African Americans (also referred to as ‘Black Americans’ or ‘Afro-Americans’) are an ethnic group of Americans with total or partial ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. The term typically refers to descendants of enslaved black people who are from the United States. As a compound adjective, the term is usually hyphenated as ‘African-American’.

Black and African Americans constitute the third largest racial and ethnic group in the United States (after White-Americans and Hispanic-Americans and Latino-Americans). Most African-Americans are descendants of enslaved peoples within the boundaries of the present United States. On average, African-Americans are of West/Central African and European descent, and some also have Native-American ancestry. According to US Census Bureau data, African immigrants generally do not self-identify as African-American. The overwhelming majority of African immigrants identify instead with their own respective ethnicities. Immigrants from some Caribbean, Central-American and South-American nations and their descendants may or may not also self-identify with the term.

African-American history starts in the 16th century, with peoples from West Africa forcibly taken as slaves to Spanish America, and in the 17th century with West African slaves taken to English colonies in North America. After the founding of the United States, black people continued to be enslaved, and the last four million black slaves were only liberated after the Civil War in 1865. Due to notions of white supremacy, they were treated as second-class citizens.

The Naturalization Act of 1790 limited U.S. citizenship to whites only, and only white men of property could vote. These circumstances were changed by Reconstruction, development of the black community, participation in the great military conflicts of the United States, the elimination of racial segregation, and the civil rights movement, which sought political and social freedom.

In some places the classification is africain or Afrikania. If a person of color lives overseas are they called ‘Afro-Greecian’? Or an ‘Afro-Italian’? Or an ‘Afro-Chinese’?

I understand the want to establish some relationship with ancestry and the need for classification to a similar tribe for identification. I watched the ‘Black Power’ movement and heard all the descriptions of ‘negra’, ‘negro’ and all the other variations of the ‘n-word’. I shared the pride of the Afro hair and the dashiki and “Power To The People” raised fist for I too was trying to have a similar revolution of “Flower Power” that went nowhere because we were too stoned.

To see people who were oppressed for so many years, stand up for themselves and create a heritage of distinction and pride is amazing. Hope the ‘Me Too’ movement will do the same for the gals.

The crayon that was labeled ‘Flesh’ matched my skin and not yours.

I was born and raised and live in the Commonwealth of Virginia so I can classify myself as a Virginian. I have not lived outside this continent and pay taxes to the government so I can call myself an American. My ancestry tells me my tribe came here from England so should I be an Englander – American? Or should I dig deeper and clarify that I’m a Saxon – American?

If we believe the researchers, aren’t we all Afro-Americans for we all crawled from the same puddle in the Dark Continent?

Wear your jerseys for your favorite sports team or decorate your car with the latest school alumni decorations for tailgating or wear your uniforms, pins and badges declaring who you are at the moment.

“Hello. I’m from Earth.”