The Denver star., 1915-03-27
BRUCE "CRiT" AT
ISSUE WITH TYLER
On Proper Title For Our Race
In America
PURE BLACKS HERE FIRST.

The Negro Raes 10 Genuine and Reeos-
nixed by EthnoIosists Throughout
the WorId-oeeupiss Place In Natural
History Term Afro-Amsriean o.
coIorsd Mere Makesf,ift.
known to the newspaper profession
among us throughout the United
States as Bruce Grit" takes Issue
with the Hon. Ralph w. Tyler as tc
the proper title by which the Negro
race in America should he known and
called. After asking the question
Shall 1t be Negro. Afro-American oI
coIored? Bruce Grit" says:
The hrst cargo of black slaves tha,
were brought to the United States OF
America arrived in 1919 and were set.
tied at JameStown. In the state OF
Virginia. They were unmista kaDly
Guinea coast and sold to the slave
traders (when net stolen outright by
these gentry by other tribesmen than
their own. From these twenty Ne
groes and the accretions to their mum
ber up to the period when the slave
trade was abolished QSOS, their de
scendants numbered in 1868 a fraction
over 100000 souls.
THE census of 1890 showed thai
there were 7.47O,O4O people classed az
Negroes. OF which number 6.337 1870
~ NJ f-{< al
scent; OF mulattoes. one-haIf Negro.
95G.9S9: OF quadrOons. one-quarter Ne
gro. 1O5. 135; octorOons, one-eighth Ne
gro. 69,.36. or total of Afro meri-
cans. Negroids and "neithers." l.l32.
UjO
The proposition to saddle either OF
these nnmes upon the black is not
fair one, since there are now more
than 6.OOO.OOO blacks against mere
handful of variously mixed people who
are afraid or ashamed of that robust
and mea ningful term Negro. which IL
the name of q genuine race which II
recognized by ethnoloSists the wide
world Over-a race which occupies ~
place in natural history.
These hybrids-ofrshoots-t result
of alliances between black men and
white women. or vice versa. ask fO- too
much when they ask that We discard
the only proper and scientifically rec
ognized name, Negro. and adopt
hybrid. meaningless racial cosnomeD
representing n type of which white
men and black men are the creators.
1t is case of the tail wagging the dog
The terms Afro American and col
ored are makeshifts. They are npoi"
getic. There is no such race MS the
Afro merican race. There never was
such a race. The term 'colored h
misleading and indefinite when applied
to people OF African descent. 1t can
apply equally to the Indian. japanese.
Chinese. Turk. Carlb and white man.
called white. As a designation Of that
branch Of the Negro race which IL
neither white nor black. it doesn't fit.
and it cannot be made to fit by ANA
teur ethnologists and scientists. white
or black. The Negro race. being In
the mujOrity in this country. as the
statistics show. has the right to oppose
this mischievons attempt of the minor
ity party to change the family name.
"A Negro can no more be an Afro
American than an AfrO-American can
be q Caucasian except by u decree OF
court. We can neither escape his
tory nor the Negro race. no matter
hcw we squirm. because our grand
parents were simon pure blacks. some
OF them, and some Of us have straight
hair. fair compilations and regular
white folks features. The die is cast.
and we cannot change the existing or
der by academic argument and ques-
tonable logic. The thing created Is
not greater than its creator.
"Some of these critics Of the word
Negro object to its use because 1t is
reminder of slavery and also that it Is
corrupted into the vulgar term Mig
GER BY the same process of reason
ing white men, both in Europe and
America. who were once slaves. some
Of them OF black masters. might object
to being called white. The term Mig
ger has only recently-i. e.. within a
hundred years or sO-been regarded as
term OF reproach.
1.-The white man has outlived his rec
ollection Of the days of his bondage
and risen superior to his past cOndi-
ton. Thousands Of whites were slaves
Of black planters in Santo Domingo.
and thousands Of them were slaves
here in the United States, purchased
for few hundred OF pounds Of tObac-
co. Today France is a mighty nation
and America Is great republic. With
little over 1.132.OOO people Of mixed
blood and different kinds Of hair. who
because Of these physical differences
are shocked when referred to as Ne
groes and Wish to abolish it's use
Neverr'