The Negro Branch of the Nashville, Tennessee Public Library, 1916-1949
...when the use of the word “Negro” was used to describe African Americans, it appeared in print overwhelmingly with a small “n”. The idea was simple—to use a capital “N” would give a certain amount of respect....Further details and source information in a post at Ptak Science Books.
The capital N was a rallying point, a common point of singularity for a large percentage of the Black population in the U.S.--and a very tiny percentage of the White population. We can deduce this because major papers such as the New York Times did not adopt a policy of using the capital “N” until 1930. And as a matter of fact the federal government documents printed “negro” small “n” beyond 1930, even though heavily lobbied to use the more enlightened and respectful “Negro”... As the editor of the Eatonton, Georgia, newspaper Messenger said when asked about the capitalization issue, that he would not be a party to it, because “it would lead to social equality."
...When W.E.B. DuBois wrote an article for the venerable American Historical Review, the editor, J. Franklin Jameson, refused to allow the use of DuBois' capitalized “Negro”. As the editor of the Dictionary of American Biography, Jameson refused the capital “N” in the publication until it was terminally embarrassed into doing so, in 1937...
And this doesn't even address the use of the reviled “n” word, which is a story unto itself. And in which there was also debate over the years as to whether or not that be capitalized.
Photo found at Librarianista.
The only thing more dangerous than a black man with a gun, is a black man with a book.
ReplyDeleteThis very question occurred to me as I was typing up a Bathroom reader article. I keep checking to make sure I've reproduced those things exactly as they are in the books. The word "black" was used throughout, not capitalized, but I didn't think about that, because if they'd capitalized "black", they should also capitalize "white" -and that would seem silly.
ReplyDeleteThe word "negro" was only used once, and it was NOT capitalized. That's where I stopped and wondered. However, it was a quote from 1921, so both in the book and the retyping, it was left exactly as originally produced.
Two things struck me about this article. First, that the plight of American blacks was such that the simple capitalization of a word meant so much to them.
ReplyDeleteSecond, that whites resisted such a minor, but meaningful, change for so long. I mean, how hard was it to simply make this tiny change as a show of respect, permitting it to become a proper noun?
Of course, in recent years, as our black brethren have progressed by Negro, to Black, to Black American, to Afro-American, to African American, I have to admit that I've been resistant to continually feel on eggshells because of the whims of black society...until I realize that, really, they are asking for so very little: To simply be addressed by a word that they feel is suitable.
I've had women get a bit perturbed angry when, without thought, called them Debbie instead of Deb. It was a small change to make to accommodate them, allowing friendship and other benefits.
Let's not every allow ourselves to say, "We will call you what we WANT to call you." That's not just mean, it's demeaning.