Glenn Beck: 'African-American Is A Bogus, PC, Made-Up Term... Not A Race'

The topic of race identification on the upcoming census was brought up on Glenn Beck's radio program this morning, and controversial statements ensued.

The whole issue apparently merited discussion because three of the available boxes to check in order to identify your race are "Black," "African-American" and "Negro."

Beck was quick to clarify:

African-American is a bogus, PC, made-up term. I mean, that's not a race. Your ancestry is from Africa and now you live in America. Ok, so you were brought over -- either your family was brought over through the slave trade or you were born here and your family emigrated here or whatever but that is not a race.

Listen:

Think Progress notes that on an earlier program, Beck had admitted that he didn't have "a lot of African-American friends, and I think part of it is because I'm afraid that I would be in an open conversation, and I would say something that somebody would take wrong, and then it would be a nightmare."

Such foresight.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[piper1233]

09:35 AM on 01/11/2010

Irish American, Italian American, Greek American, etc. etc. what other racial / ethnic terminolog­ies would this clown like to eliminate. These terms are used to connect with ones ancestrial lineage while confirming their commitment to America. If there were'nt so many of these idiots who claim sole ownership of the American Experience­, there would be no need to discuss what someone calls themself.

[Gregory Pelletteri]

05:47 PM on 01/12/2010

you are so smart i am a Italian American, but i am white, get it white is my race

[Luciana Dewberry]

08:02 AM on 01/11/2010

Why exactly does this make such a difference to white America?? It really makes me go HMMMM! Really people, this arguement is just as crazy as the "Why can't I use the "N"? I mean really! Why do you really want to use the "N" word anyway. This is just crazy. You do you and I'll do me, and move on!!

[waiteman]

07:49 AM on 01/11/2010

There is not a conversati­on that anyone could have with Glen Beck without him insulting you. The guy appears to have the social skills of a WASP. He is the white version of a rapper. The only reason he has an entourage is because he has money. He has gotten that money by appealing to the basic negative and prejudicia­l aspects of our society.

[Raquel Schmidt]

04:24 AM on 01/11/2010

Referring to Charlize Theron as an African American is like referring to Daniel Day Lewis an an Irish American. First, they were both born in their own native country and emigrated to the U.S. (not sure if both are official US citizens), not that it matters. Bottom line s they CHOSE to come to this country, most African Americans in this country did not (although many Africans have). Theron was born, & mostly raised in SA, she is a white South African of probably Dutch descent. Let's say she had the same mom but a "black" father, she'd be considered a different ethnic group/soci­al class in SA, and in USA too.
Someone please tell GB to get an enema & a google brain scan before he goes on his nonsensica­l rants

[cyclejerk]

02:11 AM on 01/11/2010

We need to put our hatred for Beck aside. His point is that he would prefer that we thought of ourselves as ONE. He dislikes the fact that we separate ourselves so much, that's all. Sounds reasonable to me.

[skantea]

02:59 AM on 01/11/2010

Not sure where you heard him say that.

[Michael Schiavo]

04:31 AM on 01/11/2010

Beck's wish is not neo-Transc­endentalis­m (Emerson) but neo-Object­ivism (Rand), not "E Pluribus Unum" but "Us v. Them." If he was really a populist, he wouldn't be on Fox "News" or any other major media outlet. He'd be a blogger, or use a webcam to broadcast his views from his multi-mill­ion dollar mansion.

[AfroZen]

10:24 PM on 01/10/2010

You know what...? I'm really sick of white men like Beck and Limbaugh trying to tell me what I am or am not! PISS OFF!

[ManUTd1989]

01:54 AM on 01/11/2010

apparently­, you're an AfroZen...

[Denalidog]

02:06 AM on 01/11/2010

if you haven't figured out that "African American" is a made up term that doesn't mean a darn thing, I feel sorry for you.

[DANi617]

04:14 PM on 01/13/2010

Well hopefully you realize that the entire concept of race is just an antiquated social construct. If you haven't "figured that out", then I feel sorry for YOU.

[ParisBeret45]

05:58 PM on 01/10/2010

I don't believe that if racial and ethnic categoriza­tions were no longer used that racial problems would automatica­lly disappear.

I also doubt the motives of SOME folks who are so anxious to get rid of the use of these labels under all circumstan­ces.

[Denalidog]

02:05 AM on 01/11/2010

I know a mixed-race couple. One of their children is white, the other black. Are they both African-Am­erican, or is only the black one?

[cyclejerk]

02:34 AM on 01/11/2010

If their smart, they will classify themselves as African American.

[Hopeington]

05:02 PM on 01/10/2010

All I get to choose from is white...is white a race?

[billhodges]

05:22 PM on 01/10/2010

Not really but at least your not claiming to be White African American which is very possible as there are whites in Africa. How would Sharpton react to that claim even though it would be as proper a claim as Blacks calling them selves African Americans.

Let's have the Middle Eastern people have to call themselves Iranian American, or Saudi American. The Muslim groups would have a field day with that happening.

Lets just be what we are Americans, or for non citizens immigrants or visitors from what ever country they are from until they become naturalize­d citizens. We have to stop the divisions we create as it just keeps us separated by those races.

[BlackWidowPilot]

07:39 PM on 01/10/2010

Who are you, and what have you done with Bill Hodges?

Release him at once unharmed and be quick about it, or do we have to send in the Marines?!

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

One of the 47 Million Declared "...not profitable enough!"

[Hopeington]

09:14 PM on 01/11/2010

Wow, well said Bill, and I agree with you....at least on this one!!
:)

[noirblanc]

12:15 PM on 01/10/2010

I agree. African -American IS a pc term. As is Irish-amer­ican, or Japanese-a­merica. So is, to a degree black or white. Race is a BS term created to divide us. We are all humans. We need to use the same scientific seperation­s such as; Kingdom : Animalia , Phylum : Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Primates, Family: Hominidae, Subfamily: Homininae, Tribe: Hominini, Genus: Homo, Species: H. sapiens. After this we have just adapted a little bit to our environmen­t, but we are all homo sapiens. (except Glen) Maybe a pc term needs to be made up so as to be able to describe one another. Race however, is BS term.

[figure8]

01:58 PM on 01/10/2010

Proud of my origin, so when the Census needs to be filled out what ya think Beck will do? Oh that will be another rant.

Race should be abolished?

[cwhig1848]

11:17 PM on 01/10/2010

Megadittos to both you guys. Let's lead the movement: "race = human."

[ManUTd1989]

01:54 AM on 01/11/2010

you might as well call for the abolishmen­t of age while you're at it.

[DSOTM]

12:01 PM on 01/10/2010

Being Jewish, I demand to be called a "Chosen America"

[TruthFinderToo]

11:21 PM on 01/10/2010

Now that is funny!

[Jim8]

11:55 AM on 01/10/2010

A broken clock can be seen as being correct twice a day. All names for things was made up at one time or another.

African/Am­erican isn't a very good term, as someone who immigrates from South Africa to Canada would be, technicall­y, an African/Am­erican, genetic traits have nothing to with the term.

[AudiGuy]

09:02 PM on 01/10/2010

What? Is Plain your mother? If the person was BORN in South Africa and moves to Canada they would be a South African living in Canada.

See this entire discussion is convoluted because everyone is mixing race/ethni­city, nationalit­y and heritage/a­ncestry together. Like in China there are 56 ethnic groups which we refer to simply as Chinese.

[PNOGUY]

08:37 PM on 02/13/2010

I think he's also reacting to the fact that black leaders have changed their "racial identity word" several times over the past 50 years, requiring everyone else to follow along. We used to have "negroes' or "colored people," then we were required to say "black," then "Afro-Amer­ican," then "African-A­merican" or back to "people of color." It's just a power thing for guys like Jackson and Sharpton, to make everyone else stay off balance.

[papaaK]

11:13 AM on 01/10/2010

GB is not intelligen­t and will never be. He did not understand his own discussion he generated and sadly did not have the facts to his argument

[Gidster]

04:32 PM on 01/10/2010

He flunked out of Yale.....

[Mabila]

10:54 AM on 01/10/2010

Kofi Annan is from Ghana.

[nana4g]

08:01 AM on 01/10/2010

Beck is the last person to define a race.

It is not his role, nor anyone other than the person who is in the racial group, to define the term used for the race.

[justmakingcomments]

07:00 AM on 01/10/2010

B is right.