The Evolution of the Afric-American

Jonathan Michael Square guest curated the 2025–26 Winterthur exhibition Almost Unknown, The Afric-American Picture Gallery. In this essay, he discusses his decisions to retain the term “Afric-American” in the exhibition title and lowercase “black” in introductory panels and labels. Square traces the evolving terminology used to describe people of African descent in the United States, arguing that racial nomenclature has always been a site of political negotiation, cultural identity formation, and institutional power. Through historical examples—from “Afric-American” to “Negro,” “African American,” and “black”—the author demonstrates how language reflects shifting debates over belonging, dignity, and self-definition. Square critiques contemporary typographic conventions, especially the capitalization of “black,” for their potential to obscure internal diversity and reinforce rigid categories. Ultimately, he advocates for historically grounded, flexible approaches to naming that illuminate rather than flatten experiences and resist institutional standardization.

Diversity (politics) · Exhibition · Identity (music) · Politics · Square (algebra) · Terminology · Caribbean history, culture, and politics · Latin American and Latino Studies · Race, History, and American Society

• Beyond Respectability

  Brittney C Cooper, Brittney Cooper•Beyond respectability•2017

  Add to list