Why do they call black people black?

Answer 1

Black white and all the other skin colors are the result of evolution. Evolution changes a species for survivability not for aesthetics. One consideration is that pale skinned peoples come from northern regions where there is not much sun, Sunlight is necessary for the formation of vitamin D in the body. A lighter skin would allow this formation to occur more rapidly in the weak sunlight (especially when the major part of the body was bundled up against the cold). As a consequence the northern peoples may have mutated to favor lighter skins than mankind's original color.

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I agree, since it is clear that the cradle of humanity is tropical Africa, all human groups probably started out with a darker skin color. This could have been altered over many generations in areas and times where lighter skin became a survival factor (as in colder climates, Ice Ages).

Answer 2

Since people of any racial or ethnic group are allowed to self-designate , the majority of Black people seem to now prefer this to African- American , and certainly prefer it to Negro.

Answer:

The colour associated with various races is arbitrary as is the concept of race. "Black" people are from Africa although their colour can range from light brown to almost black, Orientals are called "yellow", North American aboriginals are "red" and mot European descended folk are called "white" - none of these descriptors accurately identifies the predominant skin colour of these populations. Strangely enough Arctic populations like the Inuit, East Indians and many natives around Australia are not tagged with any of these epithets.

It has been suggested that "white" people gave themselves that name as they felt that they were pure and good (traits often associated in their culture with white) while enslavable peoples in Africa were felt to be "black" and their polar opposite. This is supported by many English phrases which use "black" to indicate bad: black hearted. black sheep, black day, black mood, etc.

Answer 3

Humans who can trace their genetic origins to individuals from Africa tend to have dark pigmented skin, ranging from a medium cafe-au-lait to a deep mahogany color. This pigmentation was called "black" by European colonists and settlers and from this persons from Africa were subsequently referred to as the black race. In general, this is now seen as being a derogatory reference, particularly because the dichotomy of European religions correlated "white people" (Europeans) with good and "black people" (Africans) with evil. The politically accepted terminology is African ethnicity.

The deeper pigmentation is an evolutionary advantage to persons living in equatorial and tropical areas - they are exposed to a great deal of sunlight and the pigmentation provides protection from UV radiation. You will also find that stable populations in other high-sunlight areas such as southern Asia, the Persian Gulf area, around the Mediterranian Sea and native populations across the Pacific archipelagos and central Americas also have a deeper skin pigmentation. The specific shade varies greatly, but the common factor is a noticeably darker natural skin tone than the cream color of northern European descendants.

Answer 4

Not all whites originated from Europe, while a majority (although not all) blacks did originated from Africa.