Identity Crisis

            There was a time in history when we were Negros. I remember it vividly. To be exact we were around 22 millions strong according to the U.S.Census. The 1950's was  an amazing period for Negros.
   While we  were busy creating New Music such as jazz, Rhythm and Blues, breaking barriers in sports, politics, Medicine appearing for the first time on television and opening doors in the field of employment. etc, we were being discriminated against.
    Marcus Garvey created the Universal Negro Improvement Association around 1911. We  were staunchly Negro at that time. After a period of time there were those of the Negro persuasion who preferred to be Called Colored. We became colored for a period of time which seemed to passify many but there were those who said being colored did not identify with any particular group so we returned to being Negroes.
       In the 60's Dr. Martin Luther King stood up and fought for Negroes to be free and make it to the promise land. Around 1968 James Brown wrote the Song, Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm proud, that became the anthem for the Black Power movement during this racially tumultuous period. This was a turning point for the Negro and those remaining Colored Folks. We were now officially Black. It was acceptable  for  Whites to address us as Black folks when earlier that would have been a fighting word.
    Now of course we can't forget the descenters those who identify with the indian nations by virtue of the percentage of indian blood flowing in their ancestral viens. Blackfoot tribe, Cherekee ,Shaktaw etc. anything but Black and Surely Not African. And we can't forget the escapees that passed for white.
       God Bless the Young Black and Various White Historians who researhed and dug up our history to conclude that we had strong black Ancient African History to identify with.
            We became African Americans after being taught our history. We must have drove the Census Bureau crazy in trying to figure out what to call us.  But wait it was'nt over. Enter the Black Jew, Black Muslim or Hebrew Israelite and Muslim.
      Haitians, Dominicans, Jamaicans, Africans and other groups of African decent escape the madness.
 Africa has always been the primary continent for us to identify with, even after the mixing of our blood with other groups.
   If the truth be told the White Man is not exempt from the confusion.  After doing some research I found that approximately 40% percent of the white race has black blood or other ethnisity. Due to Colinization and outright mingling with blacks and other groups Many Whites have secrets they would like to keep. How many of us white or black can truely say who we identify with.
     Oh..... and by the way where have all the negroes gone?..... Have you seen any lately or have you been too busy being African American.