Dear Editor,
Historically, the word “black”, according to Frantz Fanon, denotes evil; since “white” symbolizes justice, truth and virginity. Speaking through a third person, Fanon noted that his body is black, his tongue is black; so his soul must be black too.
Fanon wondered aloud, “In Europe, evil is symbolised by the black man…the perpetuator is the black man; Satan is a black; one talks of darkness; when you are filthy, you are dirty – and this goes for physical dirt as well as moral dirt. The black man is equated with sin…in Europe, the black man, whether physically or symbolically, represents the dark side of the personality”.
Recorded history has, from the late 14th century, shown a strong correlation between the use of the word “black” to refer to Africans and using this derogatory term to justify enslaving Africans.
I urge all our politicians and media houses to use the term “African Guyanese” in place of the word “black” when referring to Guyanese of African ancestry. In using the term “black” when referring to a person, one is uncertain of the context and intent of the user, especially knowing that “black” has been frequently used over centuries as a scornful term.
Life unfolds before us based on our experiences and knowledge of the past. In his book ‘Black Skin, White Masks’, Fanon viewed the term “black” as an aberration that came into being on contact with non-Africans — along with its interminable negative associations, such as a bastion for racism, degradation, slavery and colonialism, with colonialism still expanding in this century. All things considered, the term “black” is offensive when referring to humans in this epoch. It is offensive, and ought not to be used. Leave it in the past, with the “N” word.
Even from a global perspective, especially outside of sub-Saharan Africa, we have been conditioned to view Africans of a certain hue with extreme negativity; the darker the hue the more extreme the prejudice.
Unfortunately, the etymology of the English language and the meanings given to words trap us into propagating despicable terminology that undermines our own image and value system.
Africans have lost contact with the language that speaks to their achievements, self-confidence and self-esteem. We must constantly find ways within the English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch languages — among other languages — to describe ourselves in positive ways; without the denigrating word labels that have been tarnished through racism, slavery and colonisation in their origins and meanings, as defined directly, indirectly and loosely by the language we use to communicate.
Visualise inhabitants of a country of Africans calling each other black while knowing the extremely negative connotations that are attributed to the word black by the dominant dictionaries. Such offensive folly is inexplicable, and can only be attributed to brainwashing.
The coinage of the term “black” in all its historical and current race labelling did not evolve to capture the phenotype of the African, and this deceptively harmful practice continues today. It is past time for our Government, media, and other organisations to promote a culture using the term “African Guyanese” as the default description for Guyanese of African descent. The etymology of the term “black”, as defined in dictionaries, history books and movies, extensively makes categorising a group of people with such a label as invariably retrogressive, very insulting and extremely degrading.
I recall being part of a group of University of Guyana students — back in 1994/1995 — that sent a letter to Stabroek News asking them to discontinue using the slur term “negro” when referring to African Guyanese. Our efforts were successful, albeit not immediately.
Living in the 21st century, during the reign of the American Empire, where the term “black” is an integral part of the categorisation of African Americans, it would be an uphill endevour to change the paradigm.
We Guyanese, within the sphere of what we control — be it the media, governmental or non-governmental organisations — should lift the yoke of this label from the backs of African Guyanese. Hiding behind moral relativism and situational ethics is also not acceptable, and must be discouraged; be it the use of the term Afro-Guyanese, slurs at political meetings, slurs at social gatherings or the use of racist code words.
How nonsensical is it for two persons of the same skin colour in Guyana to refer to one as Indian Guyanese and the other as black – with all the derogatory, condescending, discriminating and racist implications that have been woven into the meaning of black over the centuries. The problem is applicable to both the African and Indian Guyanese by varying degrees, especially as it relates to discrimination by skin colour…
Why curse ourselves? When we and our children look in the dictionaries and history books and see the synonyms for black and what it represents, it will be our failure to make the change — a change we Guyanese can legitimise and make part of our culture, and a change that could expand and influence the demonyms of Africans across the world.
Let us look at a few of the leading dictionaries and extracted definitions of how black is defined and the meanings provided: Merriman-Wester: …Thoroughly sinister and evil; wicked; a black deed; black mark; invoking the devil; gloomy; marked by the occurrence of disaster; characterised by hostility or angry discontent; black resentment filled his heart; black propaganda
Oxford: The opposite of white; deeply stained with dirt; characterized by tragic or disastrous events; causing despair or pessimism; five thousand men were killed on the blackest day of the year; a black mood, full of gloom or misery, very depressed; very evil or wicked; my soul is steeped in the blackest sin;
Cambridge Dictionary: Without hope; the future looked black; bad or evil…
Why refer to me in such a manner; juxtaposed against white, with all its positive characteristic. There is a reason that name calling is a felony. Negative name calling is ingrained on the brain and within the social ecology. It is catastrophically damaging to self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence, and the ability of individuals to attain their full potential inside and outside of Guyana.
Using the term black is directly or indirectly demeaning. One never really knows which meaning is being attributed to the African man or woman so defined. Let’s make the change: culturally, politically, socially, economically and spiritually.
In my view redemption of the word black is not a viable option in the current North American and European superstructure. Walter Rodney noted in ‘Groundings with my Brothers’: “The adult black in our West Indian society is fully conditioned to thinking white, because that is the training we are given from childhood…The few changes which have taken place have barely scratched the surface of the problem. West Indians of every colour still aspire to European standards of dress and beauty. The language which is used by black people in describing ourselves shows how we despise our African appearance… and that black is the incarnation of ugliness.
“When Africans adopt the European concept that purity and goodness must be painted white and all that is evil and dammed is to be painted black, then we are flagrantly self-insulting.”
Nigel Hinds
