Racism? You Decide: Negro Option on the Census 2010 Form

The 2010 Census questionnaire will feature "Negro" as a self-identifying race option and some people are finding the term's usage offensive.  The Daily News reports that the Census Bureau has offered some logical reasoning for the word's inclusion:

Census Bureau spokesman Jack Martin said the use of "Negro" was intended as a term of inclusion.


"Many older African-Americans identified themselves that way, and many still do," he said. "Those who identify themselves as Negroes need to be included."

Logical and lame.  Though the term itself does not offend me,  I am offended at this attempt to marginalize the intelligence of Black people.  Even if older Blacks don't self-identify as African American, I do not doubt that they command enough common sense to choose the option that most closely represents them.

So the question remains, is this an issue of racism?  Well, let's see.  Racism is defined by dictionary.com as:

a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

I definitely don't think that the term Negro is being used on the Census questionnaire in an effort to exert some manner of superiority.  Therefore, MsBRG's final call on this one is: unnecessary, yes; racist, not so much.

But hey,  it's your call people...you decide.