Who is the last president to use the word "negro?"

[Renew Deal]

I am watching a Lincoln-Douglas debate re-enactment. Lincoln and Douglas both use the word negro repeatedly. Anyone know when this stopped happening?

[hyphenate]

1. I don't know exactly,

but I would assume it might have been used even up to either Kennedy or Johnson.

[JohnKleeb]

2. hmmm

I dont know. Back then it wasn't racist in meaning, the racist term was darkie if you read civil war accounts. I don't know who it was, I think Nixon was the last that I know of to use the other N word. By back then I mean the 1850's.

[Laughing Mirror]

3. My guess would be either Kennedy or Johnson

which was about the time I recall polite society started saying black instead of negro or colored person, or worse.

[dogtag]

4. I'm going to guess it was Nixon.

'Black' became operative in the early seventies, with a vengeance.

[dogtag]

11. Here you go...

President Richard Nixon: "We're going to more of these little Negro bastards on the welfare rolls at $2,400 a family -- let people like Pat Moynihan ... believe in all that crap. But I don’t believe in it.

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/presidents/richard-m-nixon/

This site has other interesting observations about Tricky's opinions of other minorities.

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

5. My guess, Georgie Bush.

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

6. yesterday

[calico1]

7. I would say Kennedy or Johnson.

The term "negro" or "colored" was not derogatory years ago that I am aware of. Over time "black" became what blacks preferred to be called and now "African American." Growing up in the NE in the 60's I can remember hearing people use both "negro" and more often "colored" but by the time I was a teen it was "black" and the other terms were not considered PC.

[Renew Deal]

8. Thanks everyone.

I think Johnson too. He was from Texas.

[illcommandante]

9. I used to watch an old Wobbly

from Texas trying to make the transition from nigger to negro and as close as he got was niggra. He didn't have a prejudice in his system except toward his fellow drunken Scotsmen. It was just habit. Knocking on doors for McGovern was what finally wore out his heart.

[Blackrain]

10. It has to be Ford or Carter

I know John F Kennedy used the word Negro. But Negro was considered contemporary back then, because allot of people used the "N" word to describe blacks.

[0007]

12. 60's