New York form asks jurors if they’re ‘negro’
25-year-old New York resident Raena Roberson noticed an interesting description when asked to identity herself on a prospective juror form Monday at the Queens County courthouse.
The options? Either “Black,” “African American” or “Negro.”
“Is this an old form?” she said she thought to herself. “From the 1950s? I felt shocked and upset and totally disrespected,” Roberson said.
Roberson crossed out the word “Negro” on the form, and wrote “offensive! it’s 2014!” She then snapped a photo of the form, which she posted to Facebook with the caption, “REALLY? ‘Negro’ … that I am not. Hello 2014? … jury duty..”
Read more at The Huffington Post
Roberson returned the form to an employee of the court and waited for a reaction from the woman who was also black, but got none. Out of the 300 prospective jurors in the room for the day filling out the form, she says no one else seemed upset by the form.
Is the term “negro” still offensive?
Should the form be changed?
Sound off below!
