Why didn Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr use the word “African American”, instead the “N” word?
The term “African-American” did not come into common usage until some years after Dr. King’s death. It was simply not used at that time. The term “Ne-gro” is not what is commonly referred to as the “n-word”. Simply the Spanish word for black, it was the commonly used, and not especially derogatory, term in that era for people of (usually) African heritage with dark skin. The other “n-word” (which sounds like figure, roughly) has always been offensive and derogatory. Dr. King would never have used that word, unless it was for effect. Back in those days, there was a big difference between the two. In the late 60’s or early 70’s the term “Afro American” was used for a while, but it died out. The only remnant of it is the word Afro to refer to a hairstyle. The word “black”, used as a noun as well, was also used, and still is sometimes. But now the most commonly used term is “African American”.
