The struggle for respect involved not only deciding on a name which African Americans preferred–IF they had to be labelled as something other than “Americans”–but having that name respected by white society.

Washington Bee December 23, 1918

For some newspapers, the obvious choice was “Negro”; for others it was “colored” or “black” or “Afro-American” or “Aframerican” . . . or even “the Race.”

Certainly, excluded from the list of possibilities was “nigger,” “darky,” “coon,” and “Negress.”

New York Age December 11 1919

However, they struggled with whites’ insensitivity to the use of the latter words–in official documents and speech, as well as newspapers (and some black newspapers even used those words themselves.”

Kansas State Ledger, July 26, 1895

The debate over a name involved a sad admission that the preferred label was “American,” an identification that was beyond hope in the “nadir” of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Washington Bee December 25 1920

Editorials, poems, letters, and news stories revealed the importance of a name that demonstrated self-respect, tradition, and accomplishment.  However, from year to year and city to city, the different names represented both the positive and the negative.

The matter of capitalizing the name–and seeing it as a proper noun versus seeing it as an adjective–became increasingly important over the years. (See GALLERY for these and other selections from the newspapers.)

Pittsburgh Courier March 15, 1930