How Did We Become African American?

A Sociologist is supposed ask questions then formulate a solution to the issue: This article is just the TIP of a large iceberg in defining origins of the term African American.

Well here are some QUESTIONS:

Do many of you whom call yourselves African American know its origins, the term I mean?

Did someone tell you that this is what you should call yourself "because" or because it just the way things are?

When this change from Black to African American occurred, was the concept of race as a social construct considered? (Before you answer, consider that like debt, race does not exist, it is merely a metric and means of social control)

Do you think that it is fair, in a glocalized/global community and economy to call ourselves African American due to ancestry and distort the definition of those who migrate from Africa annually to the United States?,

NOW EXCUSE THE FACT that I am an Atheist, and ask yourself if you think that the construct of being an African American, Black, Negro and etc is tied closely to how deeply entrenched our community of color is into the church?

Did you ever question your religious beliefs and how it affected your view of self and community as it pertains to race? (It seems like we don't question religion and just see it as "this is all I know and believe, its what I was taught...") Do we view our racial identity through this same lens?

Think on it.....and remember, before you answer these questions to keep in mind that Race and Ethnicity are two DIFFERENT concepts:

ETHNICITY- refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. The most common characteristics distinguishing various ethnic groups are ancestry, a sense of history, language, religion, and forms of dress. Ethnic differences are not inherited; they are learned.

RACE - refers to groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them. For instance, while differences and similarities in eye color have not been treated as socially significant, differences and similarities in skin color have.

****these are questions, that is all they are****

-''When did they take a vote on what blacks wanted to be called?'' C. Hutherson, a black Chicagoan, asked in a letter to The Chicago Sun-Times. ''They must have done it while I was asleep. Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have a lot of nerve speaking for all blacks.'' 'I Want to Stay Black'

-''This doesn't mean that everything will be wonderful and all the poor people will get taken care of,'' said Mary Frances Berry, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania who is a member of United States Civil Rights Commission. ''But with the devastating problems in the community now, building self-esteem can't be all bad,'' said Professor Berry, who is black. ''It's not going to make things worse.''

‪#‎FOOD4THOUGHT‬ ‪#‎DoYouKnowWhoYouARE‬ ‪#‎CriticalThoughtRequired‬