Army Nixes Word 'Negro' in Policy Document

The word "Negro" has lingered in a US Army policy document for some time, but an Army statement released yesterday said it has now been officially removed, the AP reports. The word was recently discovered as a descriptor for "black" or "African-American" troops in a revised section of Army Regulation 600-20, which covers Army rules and policies about command, the Military Times reports. The wording of the regulation previously described a black or African-American service member as "a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as 'Haitian' or 'Negro' can be used in addition to 'Black" or 'African American.'" The wording has now been changed to drop the second sentence.

"The US Army fully recognized, and promptly acted, to remove outdated language in Army Regulation 600-20 as soon as it was brought to our attention," an Army spokeswoman said in the statement, adding an apology to "anyone we offended." The AP notes the statement did not say when the term first appeared in the document, but says it was likely many years ago. (The word "Negro" was finally wiped from US census forms last year.)