etymology - What's up with the use of the word "black" in reference to skin color?



I've never liked the word black to describe people with dark skin.


Those of us with pigment-enriched skin are certainly not black in color.


Why was the term black used to describe people with dark skin? Why not the more accurate brown or chocolate?


Was this use of the word black originally intended as a pejorative or as a neutral descriptor?




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