[Ads-l] New York Times Article on My "African American" Discovery

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Fred Shapiro wrote:
> Tomorrow's New York Times has an article about my discovery
> of the term "African American" being used in 1782, 53 years
> earlier than the previous earliest known usage:
>
> George Thompson and Katherine Martin are also mentioned.
> Thanks again to George for his important help in nailing down
> the discovery.

That is great, Fred, George, and Katherine!  Below is a short link and
a long link without the urldefense.proofpoint agglomeration:

Article: Use of 'African-American' Dates to Nation's Early Days
Author: JENNIFER SCHUESSLER
Date: APRIL 20, 2015

http://nyti.ms/1JneAq2

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/arts/use-of-african-american-dates-to-nations-early-days.html

[Begin excerpt]
The term African-American may seem to be a product of recent decades,
exploding into common usage in the 1990s after efforts by advocates
like Jesse Jackson, and only enshrined in the Oxford English
Dictionary in 2001.

The O.E.D.'s entry, revised in 2012, traces the first known occurrence
to 1835, in an abolitionist newspaper. But now, a researcher has
discovered a printed reference in an anti-British sermon from 1782
credited to an anonymous "African American," pushing the origins of
the term back to the earliest days of independence.

"We think of it as a neutral alternative to older terms, one that
resembles Italian-American or Irish-American," said Fred Shapiro, an
associate director at the Yale Law School Library, who found the
reference. "It's a very striking usage to see back in 1782."
[End excerpt]

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