Kevin Wayne Williams wrote:

> Curt Fischer wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>>What's so offensive about "Black"?  Is it the unneeded capital letter?
>>
> 
> The New York Times style guide has promoted "Black" and "White" to
> proper nouns. 

I was surprised to learn that the style guide promotes the use of 
"yellow men."

> I think of myself as "white," and hate it when someone
> refers to me as "a White." I know black people that feel the same way
> about "Black."  What I really enjoyed was an article in the paper the
> other day about how some blacks think that people from Africa that
> emigrate to the US should't be called African-American, because they are
> from Africa. Or something. I was laughing too hard to follow the logic.

I read that article, too. Here it is:
http://www.zimobserver.com/newsdetail.asp?article_id=588

"For a moment, the Ethiopian-born man seemed to melt into the crowd of 
black professors, health experts and community leaders considering how 
to educate blacks about prostate cancer. But when he suggested focusing 
some attention on African immigrants, the dividing lines were drawn.

The focus of the campaign, Abdulaziz Kamus was told, would be strictly 
on African-Americans.

"I said, 'But I am African and I am an American citizen; am I not 
African-American?'" said Kamus, an advocate for African immigrants. 
"They said 'No, no, no, not you.'""

The fact that immigrant members of racial minority groups have a greater 
measure of educational and economic success than their native-born 
counterparts certainly erodes the justification for affirmative action.

- Kevin