JUST
SAY'n: I understand that Erica V. Hall, the lead researcher in this
study, is a person of color. However, I fail to see the significance of
the study for Black Americans. We already knew that many White Americans
have negative stereotypes of Blacks in this country. What does it
benefit any Black American to view themselves as Afro American just to
be viewed in a more positive light by White Americans so inclined to
have that perspective. Are we so insecure in ourselves that
we allow the perceptions of groups of 110, 110 and 90 random whites
chosen in a study dictate how 44.1 million Black American citizens view
themselves? What does it matter that some White Americans view Black
Americans who answer to the term Afro American in a better light, as
being more educated and in a higher socioeconomic scale of their own
social stratification hierarchical perspective?. In other words, just
because they think it, does not make it so and just because they think
negatively of a Black American does not negate who that Black American
is in actuality. And finally. This whole play on Black Americans wanting
to be called Afro Americans to be accepted by the White Americans is
pretty much in line with the "Bleaching" of people of color throughout
history to look "white". Blacks cannot allow White America to splinter
them into superior notions of sectarianism based upon the results of a
small sampling of Americans in this country. Now if a person wants to be
called "African", "Black", "Black American" or whatever, that is THEIR
choice. But White America, does not get to make that call...or rather
Euro-Americans...JUST SAY'n
New research suggests the racial labels conjure up very different images.
psmag.com
