Why use term "black"?

[Anesis]

got a non african american tryna speak on black history (& dont even know it)..give me a break man get lost

History is history. While someone who is associated with black history might be more passionate about it, that doesn't negate the fact that non-blacks can not only know something about the past but also contribute to discussion. Attack the problem, not the person. If the facts aren't correct, correct them, but don't ad hominem him. And it always help to give evidence to back up your claim.

when "blacks" were being rounded up onto slave ships they were simply called africans....that 'black" shit didnt come till further down the line by back-wood klans man/other racist americans...go do research

The term "black" was used at least during the 1600's, as evidenced in literature. Look at Shakespeare's plays Othello and Titus Andronicus. Othello was referred to as a Moor and and Egyptian and black, but never an African. If you can ignore the racist Elizabethan inconsistencies, I would agree that Moor and Egyptian are synonyms for African, but I find it interesting that Shakespeare never referred to a black character as an African. I don't think it was because it was too offensive, but I wonder if there was some guilt in calling them Africans.

[Sentenza]

The term "black" was used at least during the 1600's, as evidenced in literature. Look at Shakespeare's plays Othello and Titus Andronicus. Othello was referred to as a Moor and and Egyptian and black, but never an African. If you can ignore the racist Elizabethan inconsistencies, I would agree that Moor and Egyptian are synonyms for African, but I find it interesting that Shakespeare never referred to a black character as an African. I don't think it was because it was too offensive, but I wonder if there was some guilt in calling them Africans.

Ancient arabic maps refer to anything south of the Sahara as "Sudan" which basically means "land of the blacks" in arabic. Other ancient historians have coined that term too, so it goes back in history way further.
السودان (Al-Sudan) just means black in Arabic.

[NICKELS]

I hate myspace

HELL YEAH , ITS REAL SAD AT TIMES , THE PEOPLE THAT BE ON THERE

[JelisLust]

4real tho i dont no why foos cant jus call us african and why if yall see a latino or italin person they aint call them a tan person na mean

I get what you mean. I don't think most "Americanized Africans" embrace their African heritage even though, its easy to understand why with all the slavery and lost culture and stuff. This would also make it harder though...meaning like...for example, I called some Jamaican or Belizean, 'African.' I mean, at the end of the day, that is where they came from if you know your history, but that would be like calling Hispanics Native Americans. We are, but we created a different culture and all of that stuff and that is the main problem with Americanized Africans is that they have a "culture" that is controlled by the media now, instead of themselves.

[NICKELS]

4real tho i dont no why foos cant jus call us african and why if yall see a latino or italin person they aint call them a tan person na mean

I get what you mean. I don't think most "Americanized Africans" embrace their African heritage even though, its easy to understand why with all the slavery and lost culture and stuff. This would also make it harder though...meaning like...for example, I called some Jamaican or Belizean, 'African.' I mean, at the end of the day, that is where they came from if you know your history, but that would be like calling Hispanics Native Americans. We are, but we created a different culture and all of that stuff and that is the main problem with Americanized Africans is that they have a "culture" that is controlled by the media now, instead of themselves.

AGREED , ITS CONTROLLED BY THE MEDIA , ALSO BECOMES POP CULTURE WORLDWIDE.

[Ruslan]

hahaha many mexicans "special from south mexico" are much darker than he african americans.....