Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-15
NEGRO HOLDS He
ISN'T BLACK man +.
Editor of New York Age Makes
Appeal for Rights Through
Associated Press.

City. Gentlemen: There has been a
genealogical mixup to the negro popu-
lation of the United States, due to
the confusing methods employed by
the United States census bureau in
its classification of the members of
my race. The census bureau, in TAX
ing the last census, defined as negroes
those who were black. AS the major
ity of my people are not black, in max
ing out the census papers submitted
by the enumerators thousands classed
themselves either as mulattoes or of
mixed parentage. Others who we're
not black classed themselves as ne
groes. Now as the United States gov
eminent seems to be confused on the
sUbject-what is a negro? the men,
bers of my race also find the question
a complex one.
1 respectfully submit this important
matter to the Associated Press be-
cause feel that such a powerful med
ium can help clarity matters if it
will, thereby giving my race in this
country classification in the concrete
rather than in the abstract-one which
will be acceptable to all. This can
be brought about by capitalizing the
an in negro instead of using the
lower case IN" as is customary.
Some argue that the term negro" is
used only in the abstract as are the
term "colored," white" and black"
But to use the term negro" as an ad-
jective, meaning black, is misleading
in view of the fact that of the 10000
900 negroes in this country less than
100000 are black. Black Americans
are becoming scarcer each year, and
within 100 years it will be difficult to
find a real black negro in this country.
II is not that the members of my race
are ashamed of being black, far from
it; for the color of ones skin does not
determine character or intelligence.
In many cases our darkest negroes are
/ the most representative. However,
we do think that it is wrong to CLASH
/ ~ millions of people as black who
are not, thus creating a wrong impress
sion.
Webster defines the term negro
as IAN African black" There are
millions of us who are not Africans,
neither are we black; there are mil
lions of us who are black but are not
/ Africans. To merely refer to US as
'colored" means nothing more than
when you mention that a Caucasian
is white" japanese, Indians and
Chinese are "colored." Some of our
race papers refer to us as "Afro-A Amer
leans refusing to employ the term
negro" because of the disinclination
of the white press to capitalize the
IN" in negro. In the daily press
you frequently read an article which
is written something like this: Every
race was represented at the confer
ence held at Carnegie lyCeum Tuesday
evening. The Indian, Japanese, Chin
csc and negro were much in evidence
What a rank injustice to the negro to
use a lower case m in this instance
Some of the leading magazines and
a few daily papers capitalize the IN
in negro, and | feel certain that II
the influential papers connected with
the Associated Press would do like
wise they would materially aid a strug
Cling people in their efforts to advance
and become credit to themselves anC
to the nation. Why not refer to the
term negro" as race of people and
not with regard to the color of ones
skin? Then the term would embrace
blacks, mulattoes and all OF mixed par
entage; for there are millions who are
of various shades of brown; there are
millions who are mulattoes and neal
mulattoes, and there are thousand:
who are as white as any Caucasian
To classify these people as blacl
would be as improper as to classify the
whites as blacks. Green is not red
nor can you make brown or yellow
black. But in the grouping you car
put the black, mulatto, near muIattC
and near white under one head
negro. AS matters now stand, a mul
alto is spoken or as a negro" man
ing black person, which is incon
gruous.
The question of a negros politica
rights or any other question regarding
my race over which the publisher.
connected with the Associated Pres!
are apt to disagree should not be con
fused with the question / respectfully
submit for your kindly consideration
In the Latin countries black is black
white is white, yellow is yellow anC
brown is brown, which to me seems
the proper manner of classification
Why should not the same method O.
classification as to colors obtain il
this country?
Along with the matter Of capitaliz
ing the IN" in negro l respectfully be,
of you TO discontinue the use of tn,
obnoxious term "negress," which /.
vulgar and a Disagreement on tn.
women of my race
Thanking you for your indulgence
am,
Respe fully yours,
(Signed) LESTER A. WALTON.
Managing Editor New York Age.
Z