Thread by @MzJaneNova

I will use a capital “B” when spelling Black in my publications for the same reason that one author explained in 1878, “White men being printers long before the black men dared read their works, had power to establish any rule they saw fit...

(A thread)

#SpellitwithaCapital

As a mark of disrespect, as a stigma, as a badge of inferiority, they (...) agreed to spell his name without a capital. The French, German, Irish, Dutch, Japanese, and other nationalities are honored with a capital letter but the poor sons of Ham must bear the burden of a small n

To our journalist brothers we present this as a matter of self interest. Spell it with a capital. To our Democratic journals we present it as a matter of good grammer [sic]. Spell it with a capital. To Republicans we present it as a matter of right. Spell it with a capital.

To all persons who would take from our wearied shoulders a hair’s weight of the burden of prejudice and ill will,w e present this as a matter of human charity, and beg you to spell it with a capital.” (“Spell it with a Capital”; see also Gourley; Lanham and Liu; Clark; Price;

Tharps). I also capitalize “W” when referring to “Black Women” for the same purposes of claiming respect and dignity described in these articles, but with an additional critique: Black Women are erased by the automatic gendering of races as male or masculine.

"Spell It With A Capital." Weekly Louisianian, 7 Dec. 1878, p. 2. Readex: African American Newspapers, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/readex/do….

Gourley, L. E. Capital B for Black. American Psychologist, 30(2), 1975, 181. doi.org/10.1037/h00784…

Lanham, David, and Amy Liu. “Not Just a Typographical Change: Why Brookings Is Capitalizing Black.” Brookings, Brookings, 23 Sept. 2019, brookings.edu/research/brook…

Clark, Meredith. “Making the Case for Black with a Capital B. Again.” Poynter, 23 Aug. 2015, poynter.org/reporting-edit….

Price, Anne. “Spell It with a Capital ‘B.’” Medium, Medium/Insight Center for Community Economic Development, 1 Oct. 2019, medium.com/@InsightCCED/s….

Tharps, Lori L. “The Case for Black With a Capital B.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2014,

nytimes.com/2014/11/19/opi….

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