U.S. Census to Drop "Negro" Term From Surveys

It's about time

The Census Bureau is dropping the word "Negro" from its surveys. After more than a century, the forms will allow users to identify as "black" or "African American." The term "Negro" was first used in the census in 1900, having replaced "colored." Matthew Snipp, a sociology professor at Stanford University said, "This is a reflection of changing times, changing vocabularies and changing understandings of what race means in this country. For younger African Americans, the term Negro harkens back to the era when African Americans were second-class citizens in this country." The change will take effect next year when the Census Bureau distributes its annual American Community Survey to more than 3.5 million U.S. households. (LA Times)

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