Later in the same interview, de Alva makes a comparison between the use of black to describe African Americans and the introduction of the term Indian by European settlers to describe Native Americans:
Before millions died from newly introduced diseases, the Europeans called them naturales, or "natural people." Afterwards the survivors came to be called "Indians," a term the natives did not use until the nineteenth century, preferring to identify themselves by their tribal group….When that ended, they were all seen as despised Indians. The general label only helped to promote their denigration.
While the term black as it is used now mostly lacks the maliciousness that came along with Native Americans being called Indians, the general idea holds steady. Ignorance of the etymology of the term is likely the culprit for its continued usage; a forgivable transgression for those who don’t fit within the term. Unfortunately, the main users of the word are typically players within the construction of what I am calling the ‘Monolithic Negro’.