US census drops description ‘Negro’

Published on 26/02/2013 00:00

The US Census Bureau is dropping its use of the word “Negro” to describe black Americans in surveys. Instead, census forms will use the more modern labels “black” or “African-American”.

The change will take effect next year, when the bureau distributes its annual American Community Survey to more than 3.5 million US households.

The term Negro was first used in the census in 1900.