Your points are well taken Mr. Brian, and my experience confirms your  
observations.

-jc

On Jun 27, 2006, at 12:38 PM, Brian Robinson wrote:

> As a native southerner, I can weigh in on this discussion. The  
> topic is much more nuanced than our discussion has led many to  
> believe.
>
> First, it is incredibly rude for children to call non familial  
> adults by their first names. The preferred form of address for a  
> child from 2-21 toward non familiar adults or authority figures is  
> Mr or Mrs. "Smith". "Mr. Smith is the mayor of our town". Mrs.  
> Johnson is my best friends mother".
>
> Familiar adults or young women are addressed by children as Mr.  
> Bill or Miss Suzie. "Miss Suzie is my Sunday School teacher".
>
> Children address each other by their first names.
>
> Adults will refer to a familiar older person as Mr. Bill or Miss  
> Suzie as a term of endearment or respect. "Mr. Bill can sure cook  
> some mean ribs."
>
> Only adults who have passed from the formal to the informal forms  
> of address politely use first name address. How and when this  
> transition happens is a case by case basis determined by the  
> preference of the individuals who are communicating. It can be  
> offensive to immediately start calling a newly introduced stranger  
> by their first name until there is a mutual unspoken understanding  
> of familiarity.
>
> This entire form of address probably originated in the African  
> American community or was transfered early on by rural English  
> immigrants to the newly arrived Africans to the new world. In the  
> southern African American community, especially when African  
> Americans are communicating with each other, the rules are  
> completely different and I am not well versed enough to be an  
> expert. I can give a few examples from personal experience.
>
> Older African American workers often refer to their employers by  
> the term Mr. "Bill" as a term of respect. This is a familiar form  
> of address.
>
> Being younger (37) I have never been addressed as Mr. Brian by any  
> person in the African American community. I have always been  
> referred to by those familiar with me as Brian or by those  
> unfamiliar with me as Mr or Professor Robinson. As I move into my  
> 50-60's I think that this will change.
>
> White people will often refer to familiar older African Americans  
> as Mr. Bill or Miss Suzie, but will address African Americans in  
> authority positions or unfamiliar African Americans as Mr or Mrs  
> Smith.  Since the civil rights movement there has been a movement  
> of familiar address between adult blacks and whites to a first name  
> basis and away from the patronizing types of address everyone is  
> familiar with from Gone with the Wind.
>
> Age, economic status, and education of those communicating adds  
> multiple levels to the discussion. I could go on but I'll stop  
> here. There is enough material here for a book.
>
> Mr. Brian
>
>
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--
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