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Welcome to the 21st century, Census Bureau to drop use of the word 'negro' on forms

Word is considered pejorative and few use it today for self-identification.


The Census Bureau has said it will stop using the word "Negro" on census forms. Coined during the Jim Crow days as a word to describe blacks, the Bureau has said it will drop the word from being used on its forms.

The current census form contains the word Negro. this will soon be changed.

The current census form contains the word Negro. this will soon be changed.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Question 9 on the official Census form asks the person completing it to list their racial identity. The second box allows a person to check if they identify their race as Black, African American, or Negro. The term Negro is regarded as pejorative.

The word has been on the forms for over a century, and very few black Americans still use the term. The Census Bureau says less than 50,000 people wrote in the word during the 2000 census when they were asked how they wished to be identified.

By 2010, the preference of the word dropped to just 36,000.

The term was first sued in the 1900 census, replacing the term "colored" at that time. rejection of the term came as early as the 1950's and 60's as the civil rights movement finally made progress. Today, most black Americans prefer the terms black, black American, or African American.

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Keywords: Census Bureau, Negro, pejorative, forms, change

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1 - 1 of 1 Comments

  1. Patricia Murphy
    2 months ago

    'It comes from all corners......Don't discriminate; be inclusive; afford equal treatment to each and all; and on and on goes this advice and yet government forms and official forms from all parts do just that.....DISCRIMINATE.....

    We are advised that there is no identifiable gender (such is written in some government directives) yet the forms ask gender M of F .......why? ..............when we are told that there is none.

    No racial profiling................really..........These forms ask from what racial background you originate and of what colour you are or from what language group you originate?

    What government does with this information is create divisions among the general population and then pretend that thy are helping to heal such divisions by creating Ministries and commissions to enforce governments' views on what they decide is right for you.

    All this is a lazy way of pretending that government is creating jobs. Unfortunately this is creating jobs....at public expense and largely for those who are special friends of these government representatives.

    Each human being is created EQUAL. Give your brain a strech and know that this means............At the time of your conception you possessed all that was required for you to become fully the person that you were created to become.

    You are unique and different in every way AND EQUAL.

    You don't have to spend the rest of your life trying to prove your equality.....you already are EQUAL............That is a given .......you just have to come to terms with the fact that you are equal and tha your equality does not depend on your colour race language or income, government decree, peer approval or indeed if you feel equal.The fact is you are equal. That is a given.

    You were created on purpose for a purpose.........no one else can fulfill that purpose (unique)

    It is your responsibility to believe in your EQUAITY,identify your own special purpose take responsibily for your own decisions and choises and live them out to the best of your ability.

    That's enough to keep anyone and each busy for a lifetime don't you think?


    PM





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