One hundred years ago , “ Colored ” was the typical way of referring to Americans of African descent. Twenty years later, it was purposefully dropped to make way for “ Negro. ” By the late 1960s, that term was overtaken by “ Black. ” And then, at a press conference in Chicago in 1988 , Jesse Jackson declared that “ African American ” was the term to embrace. This one was chosen because it echoed the labels of groups, such as “ Italian Americans ” and “ Irish Americans , ” that had already been freed of widespread discrimination. A century ’ s worth of calculated name changes point to the fact that naming any group is a politically freighted exercise. A 2001 study cataloged all the ways in which the term “ Black ” carried connotations ( 涵义 ) that were more negative than those of “ African American. ” But if it was known that “ Black ” people were viewed differently from “ African Americans , ” researchers, until now, hadn ’ t identified what that gap in perception was derived from. A recent study, conducted by Emory University ’ s Erika Hall , found that “ Black ” people are viewed more negatively than “ African Americans ” because of a perceived difference in socioeconomic status. As a result, “ Black ” people are thought of as less competent and as having colder personalities. The study ’ s most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world. Even seemingly harmless details on a resume, it appears, can tap into recruiters ’ biases. A job application might mention affiliations with groups such as the “ Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers ” or the “ National Black Employees Association , ” the names of which apparently have consequences, and are also beyond their members ’ control. In one of the study ’ s experiments, subjects were given a brief description of a man from Chicago with the last name Williams. To one group , he was identified as “ African-American , ” and another was told he was “ Black. ” With little else to go on , they were asked to estimate Mr. Williams ’ s salary , professional standing, and educational background. The “ African-American ” group estimated that he earned about $ 37 000 a year and had a two-year college degree. The “ Black ” group, on the other hand , put his salary at about $ 29 000 , and guessed that he had only “ some ” college experience. Nearly three-quarters of the first group guessed that Mr. Williams worked at a managerial level, while only 38.5 percent of the second group thought so. Hall ’ s findings suggest there ’ s an argument to be made for electing to use “ African American , ” though one can ’ t help but get the sense that it ’ s a decision that papers over the urgency of continued progress. Perhaps a new phrase is needed, one that can bring everyone one big step closer to realizing Du Bois ’ s original , idealistic hope: “ It ’ s not the name — it ’ s the Thing that counts."