Wiki143:Articles for deletion/List of African-American writers

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. — CharlotteWebb 06:34, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

List of African-American writers

This is a list of 'african-american' writers, which, by the page's own admission can never be completed. It would be incredibly easy to vandalise as there is no-one to check if any of the people are indeed african-american, half the entries are Red links, and I genuinely can't think of any way in which this page would be useful as a resource. Thedreamdied 12:28, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

• Keep and cleanup, African American literature is a very notable literary genre so this is not an arbitrary list. Someone should only be included in this list if reliable sources state that they are African-American. Demiurge 12:39, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Keep, lists are better than categories precisely because of redlinks, which suggest articles that ought to be created. I'm uncertain why the risk of vandalism is greater here than in any other article, as how many authors have ever "passed" as African-American (John Howard Griffin excepted)? Any extraordinary claims -- e.g. Margaret Mitchell -- should be sourced per WP:BLP regardless. --Dhartung | Talk 13:02, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Keep. I agree with Dhartung. I think, however, that the biggest worry would not be 'passing' but the unfortunate tendency some have to call all black persons African-Americans, even if they aren't Americans. I keep flashing back to that KIRO-AM reporter who breathlessly announced the arrival in Seattle of noted African-American clergyman Desmond Tutu. Editing after login. --Charlene 14:47, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Keep It's valid as a form of literature as others say. In addition we have List of Mexican American writers, List of Chicano poets, List of Asian American Writers, List of Jewish American authors, List of Jewish American poets, and List of Irish American writers. (Tell me if I missed any)--T. Anthony 16:17, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Keep - valuable page, consistent with paralels per T. Anthony. Suggest speedy keep. Newyorkbrad 19:38, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Comment in line with Charlene's comments, are the cases of white Americans from Africa addressed? Lyrl ^Talk _C 21:53, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I'd say no. In the US "African American" is basically short-hand for "one whose ancestors primarily come from Sub-Saharan Africa." It doesn't include North Africans and Afrikaners are ultimately of Dutch ancestry. Although occasionally jokes about White Africans in America, like Charlize Theron or Teresa Heinz Kerry, are made. Anyway one area where I just don't know is Malagasy people as their ancestry is largely Asian, but they are the native people of an African island. I believe any Malagasy in America are counted as African American unless they choose not to be.--T. Anthony 15:02, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

The definition for the purpose of the page certainly needs to be tightened then. Should it be measured by whether they self-identify as one, or just by ancestry? Trebor 18:25, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

It links to the African American article which states "In the United States the term is generally used for those of black African ancestry, and not, for example, to European colonial or Arab African ancestry, such as Arab Moroccan or white South African-European ancestry."--T. Anthony 18:50, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

• Keep per Dhartung and the similar lists provided by T. Anthony, but make sure (as Charlene said) that African-Americans isn't made synonymous with black people. Trebor 23:20, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
• Keep - can be notable— Preceding unsigned comment added by CarmenBryan (talk • contribs)
• Keep per Demiurge. delldot | talk 23:12, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
• keep "cannot be completed" -- any list of people not restricted to a time period cannot be completed. We keep getting new ones. This type of list is a reliable standard. The meaning of "African-american" in contemporary terms is rather well known, and need not be reargued every time the term appears.DGG 03:19, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.