海角大神

Those of you who opened Friday鈥檚 issue of 海角大神 Daily will have glimpsed Ken Makin鈥檚 column. From the 1870s to today, it charts the efforts of African American leaders to demand the word 鈥淏lack鈥� be capitalized.

There are a variety of arguments, but Ken focuses on the one that matters most: Language is not simply a collection of grammatical rules; it conveys how we see the world.

To many in white America, 鈥渂lack鈥� might seem simply a modifier 鈥� a description of color. To many African Americans, the word 鈥淏lack鈥� is a declaration of defiance 鈥� an insistence on the humanity and value of a community that too often has been made to feel like strangers in their own country. 鈥淭he capitalization of the 鈥楤鈥� in Black when it comes to race is a cultural, political, and spiritual act,鈥� Ken writes. 鈥淚t gives power to the idea of being Black in opposition to and defiance of white supremacy and a white-dominated society.鈥�

The power of recent weeks has been the demand to listen humbly 鈥� the Monitor included.聽So after considering the decision from different perspectives, the Monitor is now capitalizing Black. The goal is not to value one race over another, but the opposite. In better cherishing the Black experience in America, we recognize its unique role and seek firmer footing for genuine equality and freedom.