(no subject)

[gwynhefar]

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.

Comments

[gateandgarden.livejournal.com]

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.