Negro facts for kids

The word Negro means 'black' in Spanish and Portuguese. It comes from the Latin word niger, which also means 'black'. For a long time, this word was used in English to describe people with black ancestry, especially those from Africa.

In the past, "Negro" was considered a polite way to refer to Black people. This was before the word "black" itself became more widely accepted. People used "Negro" normally until the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s. Even important leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. used the term "Negro" when talking about his own race in his famous 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream."

During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, some African-American leaders in the United States started to dislike the word "Negro." Leaders like Malcolm X preferred the word Black. They felt that "Negro" was too closely linked to a painful past of slavery, segregation, and discrimination.

Since the late 1960s, many other terms have become more common. These include "Black", "Afro-American", and "African American". In the United States, "African American" is now widely used to describe Black Americans. These individuals were often called American Negroes in the past.

The term "Negro" is still used in some specific ways today. For example, it is part of the name of the United Negro College Fund and the Negro league in sports.

The United States Census Bureau also included "Negro" on the 2010 United States Census, along with "Black" and "African-American." This was done because some older Black Americans still feel that "Negro" is the word that best describes them.

The Word's Journey in English

Around 1442, Portuguese explorers first traveled to sub-Saharan Africa. They were looking for a sea route to India. The Spanish and Portuguese used the word negro simply to describe people as "black." From the 18th century until the late 1960s, "Negro" was the accepted English-language term for most people of sub-Saharan African origin.

Why Usage Changed in the U.S.

Most people in the United States stopped using the word "Negro" by the early 1970s. Many older African Americans grew up when "Negro" was widely considered the correct term. Some of them even thought the term "Black" was more offensive than "Negro" at first. This difference in opinion shows how language and what is considered respectful can change over time.

Where "Negro" is Still Used Today

Today, "Negro" is generally not considered offensive when it's used in a historical way. For example, it's used when talking about baseball's Negro Leagues from the early and mid-20th century. It's also part of the names of older organizations, like Negro spirituals, the United Negro College Fund, or the Journal of Negro Education. As mentioned, the U.S. Census still includes "Negro" to make sure older African Americans who prefer the term are included.

Understanding "Negroid"

The word Negroid was used by racial anthropologists in the 19th and 20th centuries. The suffix -oid means "similar to." So, "Negroid" was used as a noun to describe a broader category of people than "Negro." This term is now considered outdated and is not used in modern science.

Related topics

• African American
• Black people

Images for kids

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  A European map of West Africa from 1736. It shows the old name "Negroland."

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  The use of "negro" as a term has changed over time in American English. All-Negro Comics was a comic book from 1947. It was written by African-American writers and featured Black characters.

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  An illustration from 1885 showing "Negritos o Aetas" from the Philippines.

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  A street sign in Medina of Tunis showing "Negroes street" in Arabic and French.