New-York tribune., 1906-06-18
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NO SUCH RACE AS AFRO-AMERICAN
The True American the Red Man-Use
of Word Negro.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: An Afro-American Is chronological mon
strosity; no such people ever existed or ever can
exist The white or cooress called American
is not the American race. Our aborigines are
the only people on this continent who are entitled
TO be called Americans. There enter into the
composition of the white race. sometimes erro-
neously called the "Anglo-saxon or Aryan race
the blood of every nation in Europe and some Afri-
can or Negro blood. hence It is not pure race:
there few races that are
By common consent and common usage the white
or colorless race in America is to-day called the
American race The red Is the only true
the only pure-American.
The colored race IN this country as distinguished
from the black race e., the quadroons. octoroons
and muattoes. etc.-are not, properly speaking. Ne
groes. mangroon is all black-a full blood, a
whole Negro. The late Martin r Delsny. Alex A
Crummell. Joseph c. Price, Samuel r. Ward were
mangroons, and there are many thousands of men
and women OF their sable hue still in this country
whole Negroes-who do not object to the term
Negro" as a proper designation for their race
A mulatto is one-half Negro; quadroon is one
quarter Negro; a mesizo Is haif-quarter Negro.
Whatever the complexion Of the people, they are
compelled either to follow the condition OF their
race or to forswear It, which latter many OF them
hase done The black or african s nooS race Is the
through the veins Of all or nearly all the races on
cousin to other human beings
I have no objection to the term Negro or slaok
/ | call o myself a Negro and ! am not ashamed-to
an upper case M and am always ready to de-
The hybrid term Afro-Arnerican has always been
distasteful to me in that 1t does represent any
race classified and known to natural history. 1t
is apologize, insulting. and oonceals than 1t
reveals. Its champions and defenders discover a
singular desire to popularize 1t a legitimate
and proper race appenation in face Of the fact
that II there could be such biped as an Afro
american It would have its origin IN the races
from WHICH It takes its naIne and would be dual
race Ethnology does not recognize any such race.
20 custom l and usage in this country force into the
are ar M known to have African blood in their veins.
SO that the changing Of their name will not
make them less Negro in the eyes of those who
nave been accustomed to regard all persons hay-
ing the African reinforcement Negroes.
The majority of the Negroes in this country are
not mulattoes, quadroons, octoroons or mes
tizaA but black people. And they are not willing
to adopt the term Afro-American as their racs
naAae The blacks net afraid or ashamed
OF the word Negro, even when vulgar and narrow
mhided m white men spell 1t with two "g's" thinking
70 degrade and humihate them. They will vet gel
an opportunity both in this country and in Africa
-tnelr ancestral home-to make II a title of honor
and M they will prove to all the world that black is
tne color that princes wear" Calling our rnjv Al
or the other. JOFJN r 1SpI1r-S 5IT1f Gie
fonkerS, N. Y, June II. 1904