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[loaf of bread]

Good that you think that, but that's not even remotely how it went. Because the South simply replaced slavery with another form of servitude, equally degrading and deteriorating to the Black communities. I recommend you watch Slavery by Another Name for a brief primer on the extent of the horrors faced by the Black community in the immediate after math of the Civil War. Not only did these policies institutionally keep Africans from advancing in society, they were frequently meant to keep them indebted to White Americans. The ways in which American companies (such as U.S. Steel) used force Black labor after the Civil War were just as insidious as anything that came before. Blacks were commonly rounded up, charged with absurd crimes like "Vagrancy" and then put to backbreaking often life-killing work that was sometimes even harsher than working the old cotton fields.

Read up on how the Black Codes after the Civil War destroyed any chance Blacks had of progressing, and how many of these systemic issues existed into the 40s. And how even after that, the Civil Rights movement into the 60s was required to get them the rights that whites took for granted since this countries founding.

And then sober up as you realize that the Institutional Racism that exists right now continues the legacy of the racist slave trade by disenfranchising millions of people with brutally unfair laws meant to keep entire groups of people out of the rat race.

I know all about indentured servitude and Jim Crow laws, my main point was that the formal large scale trade of slaves was abolished in 1807, while there were still slaves being traded illegally, it wasn't the large scale taking of slaves from their homelands like it was before that. I also understand the lasting effects of slavery, I just refer to the Jim Crow laws, Civil Rights, etc as issues of Racism against black people as opposed to grouping it with slavery which I group in a much worse category.

 

[Abounder]

This is a pretty American thing to do, though. I've never once heard someone use the phrase African Briton, or British African. If they did, I'd definitely feel distinctly uncomfortable - if you're British, you're British, it shouldn't have qualifications attatched. Even British Asian is not really particularly frequently used and is mostly restricted to first and second generation immigrants rather than people of south-west Asian descent who have fully naturalized.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Asian

To me it is more ignorance than anything else. Not everyone knows American history or what is politically correct; for a tangential example Chinaman vs Frenchman/Irishman/Englishman where the latter is acceptable.

 

[pulga]

Is on tv lobbying for black actors in the UK

Gets called a racist anyway

Hypersensitive PC groups need to GTFO

 

[levious]

Who called him a racist?

 

[Colocho]

While we're on the subject, is there a difference between "black" and "brown"? I've heard both terms used around, is one more politically correct than the other?

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Who called him a racist?

This is what the actual group in the article said

Anti-racism groups had described his use of the word "coloured" as "outdated" and said the term had "the potential to cause offence".

The British anti-racism educational charity Show Racism the Red Card said: "Appropriate terminology differs from country to country; for example, we know that in some countries the term 'coloured' is still widely used, and that in the US the term 'people of colour' is quite common.

"During our work with young people in schools throughout England, we discuss appropriate language to use when describing people of different skin colours and backgrounds and explain why the term 'coloured' is no longer the best way to describe someone."

HYPER SENSITIVE

While we're on the subject, is there a difference between "black" and "brown"? I've heard both terms used around, is one more politically correct than the other?

Brown tends to be used by/in reference to Hispanic and/or Indian people, not black people. It's really not that deep tho

 

[Deleted member 231381]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Asian

To me it is more ignorance than anything else. Not everyone knows American history or what is politically correct; for a tangential example Chinaman vs Frenchman/Irishman/Englishman where the latter is acceptable.

I know that the term British Asian is used, I just referred to it in my last post. I'm just saying that it is much more specific in its usage than African American is.

 

[Speevy]

Honestly, I haven't met a black person who gets offended by you liberally throwing around the terms "black people", "blacks", "black guy", "black lady", etc.

Then again I live in the south, so it may be different for you.

 

[Trouble]

While we're on the subject, is there a difference between "black" and "brown"? I've heard both terms used around, is one more politically correct than the other?

"Brown" basically means all non-white minorities, which would include hispanics, native americans, middle eastern people, etc.

 

[royalan]

This is what the actual group in the article said



HYPER SENSITIVE



Brown tends to be used by/in reference to Hispanic and/or Indian people, not black people. It's really not that deep tho

Who called him racist?

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Who called him racist?

Nobody.

Even the twitter salt just said the was out of touch. But you know the drill

 

[royalan]

Nobody.

Even the twitter salt just said the was out of touch. But you know the drill

Yep.

Honestly a lot of the posts in this thread seem to be lashing out against a mob that, well, doesn't exist.

 

[besada]

While we're on the subject, is there a difference between "black" and "brown"?

964B00

 

[CurlySaysX]

I'm glad he apologized but the damage is done and forgiveness is going to take some time. I feel so bad liking Sherlock now, I'll make sure to never watch again.

 

[Necromanti]

Cumberbatch aside, I'm not surprised that there are people who still use the word "colored" to describe black people, but I'm a tad surprised that there are people (namely American) who didn't know that it's frowned upon (or why).

 

[loaf of bread]

I'm glad he apologized but the damage is done and forgiveness is going to take some time. I feel so bad liking Sherlock now, I'll make sure to never watch again.

Yeesh. I think this is taking it a little too far, unless sarcasm.

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Wait, "Blacks" is NOOOOT okay. Emphasis on the s.

 

[Africanus]

Cumberbatch aside, I'm not surprised that there are people who still use the word "colored" to describe black people, but I'm a tad surprised that there are people (namely American) who didn't know that it's frowned upon (or why).

Hey, everything's a learning process. I admit my previous ignorance to the fact that coloured is both outdated and offensive.

However, the important takeaway is that people learn and dispel ignorance. I see no outrage or hyper-offended people, I see one man who accepted his faux pas and apologized. So I'm not sure why NAACP, an organization founded in (February?) 1909 is brought up as a counterpoint to this.

 

[Abounder]

This is a pretty American thing to do, though. I've never once heard someone use the phrase African Briton, or British African. If they did, I'd definitely feel distinctly uncomfortable - if you're British, you're British, it shouldn't have qualifications attatched. Even British Asian is not really particularly frequently used and is mostly restricted to first and second generation immigrants rather than people of south-west Asian descent who have fully naturalized.

I know that the term British Asian is used, I just referred to it in my last post. I'm just saying that it is much more specific in its usage than African American is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_African-Caribbean_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Indo-Caribbean_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Indian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_British

In my opinion "British Asian" is just as confusing in its usage because it excludes Eastern Asian people like the Chinese, and instead focuses on South Asians. But that's another difference between UK and the USA where the UK has more history with Pakistan and India; which arguably links back to cultural differences like Cumberbatch's apology. Or another example, calling someone from the Phillipines "Pacific Islander" instead of the more vague "Asian"

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Eh. People will get offended at anything. He obviously meant no offense.

 

[The Boat]

I had no idea this was offensive.

 

[Tesseract]

Like levious said:



We give words/terms meaning. One word has a history of being derogatory, while the other doesn't.

yeah i know, i'm just saying that the equivalency can't be ignored

I had no idea this was offensive.

it is and isn't, depends who hears it and in what number

 

[CurlySaysX]

Yeesh. I think this is taking it a little too far, unless sarcasm.

I don't think it's too far, there has to be a line somewhere and he obviously crossed it.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

some people are mad uncomfortable saying “black people“ and they end up saying worse shit.

Because in the world we live in where nearly every word is offensive to someone, black probably sounds worse than coloured.

I'm not even sure what word is ok anymore.

Serious question, can anyone clue me in?

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

I don't think it's too far, there has to be a line somewhere and he obviously crossed it.

Are you aware of why he used it?

 

[Currygan]

I'm glad he apologized but the damage is done and forgiveness is going to take some time. I feel so bad liking Sherlock now, I'll make sure to never watch again.

mate, if we had to take offense at every movie where America depicted us as evil bastards, cowards or idiots we'd never watch an American movie again. He never meant to be racist, cmon

 

[BearFlexington]

Does anyone else find the term African American weird? I don't see why by being black you are "african american" even if you didn't come from africa. Plus other nationalities are barely ever referred to as "_____ american." If I'm black, and my parents were born in say, Italy for example, and I was born in Italy, and I move to the US. I'll be referred to as African American. That doesn't make sense to me.

I find it assumptive considering no one says "European American."

 

[MIMIC]

edit: wrong thread

 

[Coconut]

Yep. Nobody is actually black or white either, and yet we use those words. Language is just a weird old thing, it doesn't often make much fucking sense at all.

Life would be much easier if everyone wore a "hello my names is" name tags all the time.

 

[Unbound By Death]

Is on tv lobbying for black actors in the UK

Gets called a racist anyway

Hypersensitive PC groups need to GTFO

Things are getting out of control

He obviously didn't mean any harm

But he really over apologized

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

Life would be much easier if everyone wore a "hello my names is" name tags all the time.

"Hello, my name is cum dumpster"

 

[APZonerunner]

I'm half black, British, and never knew this term was considered offensive. In my uni days when I worked in a shop if somebody was trying to articulate what person they'd spoken to, people above a certain age in particular would use a phrase like "the coloured lad," fairly often.

Younger generations would generally say "black" or "the darker bloke," or something more PC, but the point is I heard the word coloured a lot and never really thought anything negative of it. If somebody had said "I spoke to the nigger!" it'd be a very different matter.

RE Race Identity in Britain, by the way, on some census & government forms the option given that'd be equivalent to "African American" is simply usually "British (Black)". For me, it's British (Mixed), though, and then I usually have an additional box to write what sort of mix I am. The phrase African American was always a weird one to me, primarily because it's African first and American second. It's a bit of a nature vs nurture debate, I guess, but I personally identify with where and how I grew up - Britain - more than where I'm genetically, historically from. I'm sure being mixed race and having a huge white half of my family informs this too, but, yeah. I'm British. That first, undoubtedly. I speak with the accent, have the British mindset... I'm British. I never really feel the need to qualify it with anything else.

 

[The Return of]

I'm actually really surprised people here don't know this is offensive to say tbh

 

[Tesseract]

"Hello, my name is cum dumpster"

 

[Zukuu]

'people'

why group and divide? live in a colorblind world!

That's how I see it too, but not everyone else.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Because in the world we live in where nearly every word is offensive to someone, black probably sounds worse than coloured.

I'm not even sure what word is ok anymore.

Serious question, can anyone clue me in?

Johnny Storm..

That's how I see it too, but not everyone else.

Oh shit..Colbert is a GAFfer!

 

[Coconut]

"Hello, my name is cum dumpster"

If that's who you want to be who am I to stop you?

 

[kyser73]

So would it be correct to use the term 'African American' to refer to someone who had emigrated from Libya, Egypt or other country in the northern arc of the African continent?

 

[Africanus]

So would it be correct to use the term 'African American' to refer to someone who had emigrated from Libya, Egypt or other country in the northern arc of the African continent?

People typically use Nationality-American for expats of Africa.

 

[kyser73]

People typically use Nationality-American for expats of Africa.

So Egyptian-American, Libyan-American and so on?

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Socreges]

some people are mad uncomfortable saying “black people“ and they end up saying worse shit.

This is the funniest thing. I've had several conversations with people where it ends like this:

"Then what am I supposed to call them?"
"....fucking 'black people'."

 

[Aiustis]

So Egyptian-American, Libyan-American and so on?

Thanks for clarifying.

yup.

Colored is a bit dated but I hear it on occasion. Never by anyone who means any harm or is under 70 though.

 

[gohepcat]

Are there people here, from the United States, who would use the word colored when describing a black person?

That is… Really surprising.

And for everyone else from other parts of the world, yes it's possible that a word isn't antiquated in your part of the world but is in ours.

This is the nature of the English language. There is no official rulebook. Over time words can completely change meaning. I don't know why this is hard for people to understand or except, but it's been this way for hundreds and hundreds of years.

 

[pokeystaples]

Brown tends to be used by/in reference to Hispanic and/or Indian people, not black people. It's really not that deep tho

Me and my peeps use brown a lot but we use it to describe all POC. My BF is Filipino and refers to her husband, who is Indian, and her son, who is half Filipino 1/4 black 1/4 white, as brown. It's the catchall for not white. I guess it depends on the person.

 

[Wiktor]

So what's non-offending term? I mean..outside of minority which can't be applied to countries where white folks are minority.

 

[Currygan]

So what's non-offending term? I mean..outside of minority which can't be applied to countries where white folks are minority.

"That guy who is not white"

 

[royalan]

So what's non-offending term? I mean..outside of minority which can't be applied to countries where white folks are minority.

Black (the most widely acceptable casual term for referring to black people)

African-American (although, to most younger black people this term, while not offensive, is largely considered to be overly formal in most situations)

Person of Color (generally used for all minorities. Again, most younger people will find the use of this term to be overly formal. Most acceptable to use when collectively referring to minorities, and generally in an academic sense)

That's pretty much it. So err on the safe side and just call us black.

 

[Wiktor]

Black (the most widely acceptable casual term for referring to black people)

African-American (although, to most younger black people this term, while not offensive, is largely considered to be overly formal in most situations)

Person of Color (generally used for all minorities. Again, most younger people will find the use of this term to be overly formal. Most acceptable to use when collectively referring to minorities, and generally in an academic sense)

That's pretty much it. So err on the safe side and just call us black.

So there's so much difference tonally between Person of Color and Coloured? Damn.

 

[Slayven]

So there's so much difference historically.between Person of Color and Coloured? Damn.

Fixed.

 

[royalan]

So there's so much difference tonally between Person of Color and Coloured? Damn.

Yeah, at least in the US.

It's not as offensive a term as something like nigger, of course, which is why you don't really see anyone rushing to label Benedict a racist. It's just, in the US, an extremely antiquated term for black people.