I'm asking this question in a purely American context (US). I remember someone once telling me that once upon a time that Black was the rude form of address at the time that Negro was considered polite, and now, of course, Negro is no longer an acceptable form of address except in certain historical context (Negro College Fund, etc). Is it true that there was a time when Black was a "slur", and Negro the popular term?
I was wondering when ("polite" wouldn't be the correct term, I guess) each form of address for Black people fell in and out of favour.
If that is too broad, then I am most curious on this point. When did the term Negro fall out of favour?
I hope the question is coherent.
The term negro was something that was re-evaluated during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. The word negro is the Spanish word for black, and has been used by the Portuguese and the Spanish to refer to black people. It comes from the Latin word Niger, which simply means black. The Portuguese were the first to participate in the "New World" slave trade by bringing slaves from West Africa. Later, the Spanish became heavily involved in the slave trade. Black people being transported as cargo would be classified as "negro cargo", the term describes them more as objects than people. They were strictly labelled as cargo for the journey, and were deprived of basic human needs, with many dying during transport. Even after slavery ended, black Americans were simply being referred to what they have always been referred to since the days of being treated and labelled as cargo. The Civil Rights push away from the term negro is for purpose of equality, black people were no longer just objects, or cargo, in the eyes of the system.