African-American? You betcha.
Glenn Beck is a piece of work. But I will say this, he was on the right track with his recent comments about the upcoming 2010 Census and its “racial” category for describing Blacks. Here is what he said on his radio program today.
Now, where Beck is right is that the term “African-American” is made up. As are the terms “Colored,” “Negro,” and “Black” for that matter. He is absolutely right that such a label is confusing. And indeed his examples were on point, for example, is Charlize Theron, African American?
Yes and No.
But where Beck fell short, as he often does, is that he stopped at the one term. ALL racial categories are ludicrous. They are ALL made up. They are made up words that we have let define us and cause us to act and react upon them.
And if Beck really wanted to go to the next level, he would have pointed out that more important than the terms to describe the “racial” categories, is the stupidity of such an idea of a “racial” category at all. Race itself is made up, at least when it comes to differences among people. We are one race. Many cultures and ethnicities but one race.
So I guess I have to give Beck a semi-kudo for going there. He’s wrong, but he’s also got a point on this one. As they say, even a broken clock has the right time twice a day.
Amen!