gwynhefar | (no subject)

Just read an interesting article in the November 1919 issue of The Half-Century Magazine, an African American magazine issued primarily in the late teens and early 20s. The article is entitled "By What Name Shall the Race be Known?" a deals with the still-relevant topic of what term should be used to designate those Americans descended from African slaves. The author rejects "Negro," "African," "Afro-American," and "Colored" in turn for various reasons, and puts forth the opinion that that area of Africa from which the first slaves were taken (so he claims, I honestly don't know if this is true) should be re-named "Librania" from the Latin "Liber" meaning "free" and their descendants in America be known as "Libranians." Obviously, this idea never took off, but I can't help but notice the similarity of the name to my own profession. My relatively non-politically correct brain then went into paroxysms of glee at the thought of "Libranian Librarians" (of which there are many).

Anyway, it's a really fascinating article. The whole magazine is pretty interesting too.

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Hmmm. I'd thought "Afro-American" was a newer term. Malcolm tried to persuade people to use it rather than "Negro," or "Colored" as though it had just been thought up. Actually, I guess he might have gotten the idea from Marcus Garvey, who was probably saying something along those lines about the same time your article was written.

Yeah, he basically says to use "Afro-American" would be qualifying the term "American," as if those so designated weren't really full Americans. He rejects "Negro" for it's clear association with another N word, "African" because there are Africans in Africa, and "Colored" because hey, we're all colored some way. Peach or cream or tan or caramel or mahogany there is no such thing as a truly white or truly black human being on this planet, so to call some colored and others not-colored is ridiculous.

Honestly, I pretty much agreed with everything he said, although I admit to quite a bit of amusement at the Libranians suggestion. But only because I had Libranian Librarian running through my head :)

Damn, I should've gotten that African American studies degree I wanted to get back when I actually liked going to school. I could be arguing for "Libranian" in African American review or something, and mention that it goes well with another one I've seen a few places--lesbrarian.

Well, I'm on the Lezbrian mailing list :)

Ha! Now I remember you mentioning that one at some point.