Why is the term 'negro' on the 2010 Census?

Since the census went out, I have heard this question so many times. I have seen it in newspaper articles and on the lips of close friends and relatives. So I did some digging and found this question answered on the Census Question and Answer page:



Question: Why is the term "Negro" used in the race question?

Answer: A test embedded in the 2010 Census will measure the effect of removing the term "Negro" on reports about a person’s racial identity. The results will be used to inform design changes for future surveys and the 2020 Census. In the 2000 Census, more than 50,000 persons chose to write down explicitly that they identified themselves as “Negro.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

The Census Bureau included the term “Negro” because testing prior to Census 2000 indicated that numbers of respondents self-identified with this term. Census 2000 data showed that 56,175 respondents wrote in the term "Negro" in response to the question on race, even though the term was included in the category label for a checkbox. This does not include the unknown numbers of respondents who may have checked the box “Black, African Am., or Negro” because of the presence of the “Negro” identifier.

Research in the 2000s did not include studies of the effect of dropping “Negro” from the list “Black, African Am., or Negro” on responses. Such research is important to avoid unanticipated consequences of changing question wording on the outcome of a census. As stated above, this research will be conducted as part of the 2010 decennial census.



So, to break that down further, over 50,000 people WROTE IN the term 'negro' on their census in 2000. That's not to say that it was a good idea to put it on the 2010 form, but that is a strong identification that the term meant something to the people that wrote it in 10 years ago. I put up this note because there are too many people blinded by pride who are choosing not to fill out the form because they feel the term 'negro' is too reminiscent of slavery. Personally, I agree and do not identify as negro. I identify as African American, and there was a check-box on my form that said that (along with other things). I am filling out my census on behalf of my community, and area that I deeply care about and want to see properly supported. As a member of a democracy, I have sent emails to my elected officials and hope not to see the word 'negro' on a census form again. But this slip up will not prevent me from doing my part to help my community.