WE ARE AMERICANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT {The Naming of "us" Proclamation Ceremony, Uriah J. Fields' letter to the Los Angeles Times" and Henry Louis Gates,Jr.'s letter of reply to a letter he received from Fields fifteen years ago.} In early 1994, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Chair of the Afro-American Studies department and Chair of the W.E.B Du Bois professor of Humanities at Harvard University, published the book, "Colored People." After this quote from Zora Neale Hurston, "I remember the very first day when I became colored," Gates writes a letter that constitutes the "Preface" of this book to his daughters Maggie and Liza. He says, "In your lifetimes, I suspect, you will go from being African Americans, to "people of color," to being, once again, "colored people." ...But I have to confess that I like to be called "colored" best." I read this  book shortly after it was published and at a time when I was deeply engaged in the "search for the true ethnicity name for American citizens who are descendants of African aborigines." At that time I led a group who frequently attended the People United Freedom Forum which I moderated in Los Angeles and some of whom were members of the Mutuality Warrior Corps. They assisted me in organizing and presenting "The Ethnicity Naming of Us Ceremony" on behalf of all fellow black Americans. During that ceremony participants ratified "Americans of African Descent" as the true name for 'us.' (us does not mean the United States. In this discourse its meaning is obvious.) Following the "Ethnicity Naming Ceremony," on June 9,1994 this article appeared in the "Los Angeles Sentinel." "WE ARE AMERICANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT. 'Never again must it be said among us Nobody knows our Name,' declared Dr. Uriah J. Fields, Encourager-in-Chief of the Mutuality Warrior Corps, during ratification of the Ethnicity True Naming Ceremony for American citizens who are descendants of aboriginal Africans held on June 5, 1994 Los Angeles, CA. The "Ethnicity Naming of Us Ceremony" was the highlight of the Fourth Anniversary of the Mutuality Warrior Corps observance. During his event the Ethnicity  Naming of us Proclamation was issued and the name AMERICAN OF AFREICAN DECENT was ratified by paricipants on behalf of 27 million Americans who are descendants of African aborigines. This is ehe first time aboriginal Africa American citizens have declared by a ratification process and mandate the name by which they are to  be ethnically known." On June 12, 1994, the "Los Angeles Times" published the letter below in which Fields criticized Louis Henry Gates, Jr., for adopting and suggesting that his daughters call themselves "colored." "Of Names and Times The book "colored People' by Henry Louis Gates Jr., reviewed in the Book Review May 8 is a disappointment to black Americans. It is unthinkable that a descendant of African slaves and chariman of the departmet of the Afro-American studies at Harvard University would, in the '90s, write to his two daughters. "In your lifetime, I suspect you will go from being African Americans to "people of color," to being once again "colored people. ...I don't mind any of the names myself. But I have to confess that I like "colored" best. Gates should know that I and most of the 30 million descendants of aboriginal Africans, hence of "slaves in America, do mind the name they are called. They have already rejected being called "Negro," "Afro-American" and "blacks," except "blacks" is considered to be the appropriate name to use when a descendant relates to "white racism. While there may not be much hope for changing the mind of Papa Gates, I would like for his two daughters to know that 1) papa does not know best, in the matter of your true name and 2) your true nme is "American of African Descent." Uriah J. Fields Los Angeles" After Gates received a letter from me in which I expressed my objection to us using the name "colored," and a copy of my letter to the "Los Angeles Times," he sent me this letter of reply: "July 11, 1994 Dear Mr. Fields: Thank you for your recent letter. We Americans of African Decent have expended much energy over the years determining what we should be called. There is, as we both well know, a valid reason: the ability to define is to exercise a measured of control, and we always stand in need of greater control over our own lives and destines. Various names have waxed and waned through history, and will, I'm sure, continue to do so. I appreciate the fact that you are contributing to the debate. Sincerely, Henry Louis Gates, Jr." It is gratifying for me to know that Gates have since used the terms "African American" and " black" as can be found in his book co-authored with Cornel West, "The Future of the Race." (1996) Although Gates,like myself, use the terms African Americans and Blacks, on many occasions, I also use the preferred name, Americans of African Descent. Hopefully Gates and other American citizens who are descendants of African aborigines, especially those W.E.B. Du Bois referred to as "The Talented Tenth," will use the triple names: African American, Black and American of African Descent, each when most appropriate, as we hopefully achieved a post racial society which does not yet exist but is within sight as evidence in the election of Barack Obama, as the first American of African Descent President of the United States. On that note, I rest my case. Copyright 2009 by Uriah J. Fields ___________________________ Uriah J. Fields is a social activist and author. His recently published book is: "The Fields School: An African American School Without Failures in Rural Alabama 1930-1949." The chief founder of this school was the author's paternal grandfather who was born in slavery. The author's first eight years of schooling was at the Fields School.