Is it PC to say "black"?

Steoob

hey, something i always wondered.. is it politcally correct to say "black" when discribing a person of negro origin? i was just watching the interview from emily from big brother where she said "i love my black friends" or something to that effect and i winched when she said it, as i always do when i hear someone say black... is it PC and if not what IS the correct term?

super_furry

I think so. Who knows? Crap like that changes by the week.

Rabies

Are you white?

vorbis

i believe it is now.
"African American" sounds very labored to me but "black" sounds much more natural. I use the word around black people and there's never been a problem.

MooseJam

yes it's 100% PC

Sofaspud

Rabies wrote:

Are you white?

RACIST!!!!!

The correct term is "caucasian", you damn nazi!

MooseJam

vorbis wrote:

i believe it is now.
"African American" sounds very labored to me but "black" sounds much more natural. I use the word around black people and there's never been a problem.

you can hardly call them African American if they are Swedish

Rabies

Sofaspud wrote:

RACIST!!!!!

The correct term is "caucasian", you damn nazi!

The correct term is Lolazi.

Kold

Black people are black. Black is the right word. White people are white, Asia- things get a little more complicated.

Sofaspud

MooseJam wrote:

you can hardly call them African American if they are Swedish

That reminds me, I was in Memphis a few years ago on a student exchange, and we got to meet the mayor of Tennesee (who happened to be black, as was his right hand man). Anyway, his right-hander was keeping us occupied while the mayor was busy, and he asked us "Do you have many African-Americans in Ireland?"

One of the guys said "Well, no, but we get some African-Irish people . . . ."

Ruu_Old

On many of the employment forms for many companies it lists like below from what I have noticed. Fear gorm as it was in Irish.

Race/Ethnicity

Black (or African American)
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
Hispanic
White (Caucasian), Non-Hispanic
Other

kelle

A Zimbabwean girl told me years ago she hated the term "coloured" as she's not blue, green or purple - she's black, she's proud of it and wishes to be referred to as "black". However, I don't think "coloured" is used anymore.

Canis Lupus

I use the word monkey but for some reason it gets me into fights alot....

Binomate

I think a big part of it is determined by whether or not you sound like you're comfortable using the word.

fred funk }{

Canis Lupus wrote:

I use the word monkey but for some reason it gets me into fights alot....

Ouch!........bada bada bing!

alleepally

CSO question 14 in the 2006 census.

Looks like black is an ok term then :rolleyes: and how could it not be - how can anyone "winch" (sic) when they hear someone described as such.

http://www.cso.ie/census/Question14_000.htm

stovelid

I was told before that colored or Negro were the acceptable words before the civil rights movement in the states. Black and now, African American have replaced them.

In the UK and Ireland, I have alway used black amongst black and white friends with no problem.

Canis Lupus wrote:

I use the word monkey but for some reason it gets me into fights alot....

Quite a controversial, zany kind of a chap aren't you?

Mossy Monk

Steoob wrote:

is it PC and if not what IS the correct term?

Yes, black is the correct term. I really don't see what else it could be.

I always think the term 'african american' is hilarious in itself when describing someone's skin colour. Could you be a white african american?

Steoob

hmm i suppose black is alright, i dunno maybe it was just the way i was raised... its just the way people say "black" it sounds like theyre singling them out as different, as in "we're white, theyre black" i think the way the world is now is that you cant even discuss how another human being is different to you, we're all human and you have to accept that

alleepally wrote:

CSO question 14 in the 2006 census.

Looks like black is an ok term then and how could it not be - how can anyone "winch" (sic) when they hear someone described as such.

http://www.cso.ie/census/Question14_000.htm

are you alright there?

the_syco

stovelid wrote:

I was told before that colored or Negro were the acceptable words before the civil rights movement in the states.

Aye. But they copped on that "negro" and "n|gger" sound the same, so they say black.

I know 3 people from Africa, and they're all white. So I call a spade a spade.

Canis Lupus

stovelid wrote:

Quite a controversial, zany kind of a chap aren't you?

Not really trying for either there. Black people are black. Altho tbh I reckon they're often more a shade of brown. I don't often see too many outright black people.

Sofaspud

Steoob wrote:

its just the way people say "black" it sounds like theyre singling them out as different, as in "we're white, theyre black"

That's sort of what it is, except it's not so much singling them out as using a vague description. It's like saying that using the term "blonde" is offensive, because it separates them from us brunettes.

Same reason I don't get offended when people call me fat. My usual response is "and your point is . . . . ":D

alleepally

Steoob wrote:

are you alright there?

eh, yeah. why?

FranchisePlayer

kelle wrote:

A Zimbabwean girl told me years ago she hated the term "coloured" as she's not blue, green or purple - she's black, she's proud of it and wishes to be referred to as "black". However, I don't think "coloured" is used anymore.

Yeah your right never ever say that to a black person they find it very offensive don't blame them to be honest.

cooperguy

It changes the whole time. I for one always just say black. African-American is the most ridicules PC phrase I know. You can have African-Americans that have never set foot in Africa, African-Americans that have never set foot in America and African-Americans who have never set foot in either country!!

I might aswell call myself a Swedish-American.

Jonny Arson

anyone who calls me white is a massive racist

zuutroy

Man I'm sick of this PC crap....We're NOT all the same....There were, are, and always will be divisions between people be they ethnic, religious, sporting because of the different environments we live in. Get used to it. All this tip-toeing is so f@ckin stupid and an insult to the intelligence.

PS. Is it wrong to note that black people are better athletes than the pasty facers?

cooperguy

zuutroy wrote:

PS. Is it wrong to note that black people are better athletes than the pasty facers?

The term your looking for is Cracker:D

zuutroy

cooperguy wrote:

The term your looking for is Cracker:D

Don't be correcting me you bad-dancing honky

Cake Fiend

Jonny Arson wrote:

anyone who calls me white is a massive racist

The correct term is 'gravitationally enhanced'.

Pherekydes

zuutroy wrote:

PS. Is it wrong to note that black people are better athletes than the pasty facers?

Yes.


White men can't jump, eh?

On topic again: What would you call the offspring of one black and one white parent?

And how about the offspring of the above and one white parent?

Labels are stupid.

zuutroy

That would be a 'Brownie'. Check the link.....A racial slur for every occasion...Why not learn em all and impress your friends.

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

WindSock

I sometimes wonder this myself. How long will it be, before the PCers make it into ''an inappropriate(sp?) term for those of african descent.''

It will be seen as racialist to ask for ones coffee black.

cournioni

All I have to say is, fcuk political correctness. Call people whatever the hell you want, but treat people the same way as you would like to be treated.

BendiBus

I remember someone once describing someone to me so I could identify them in a group at business conference. They described their height, outfit, glasses, whatever (can't remember the details). They were too PC to point out that the person I was looking for was the only black person in the building, if not the whole town

Dudess

Calling someone black is no more offensive than calling me white.

"Negro", which the OP used, is offensive. Gerry Ryan used it the other day referring to hip-hop artists - idiot.

"Coloured" is quite offensive too - why aren't white people referred to as "coloured"? White is a colour.

"African American" is ridiculous too - even though black people use it. They're putting themselves into a pigeonhole by using this very term. Are white Americans ever referred to as "European Americans"?

6ix

How is negro offensive? It's the same as "Caucasian".

However, I'd say both negro and coloured are old fashioned. Black/white are the natural terms, and it's been that way for quite a while. It annoys me when someone starts going on about "coloured" people - smacks of excessive political correctivism (or is it "correctiveness?")

iFight

Yea, don't see how it would be otherwise. I doubt anyone would be offended by being called white anyway.

bug

Steoob wrote:

hey, something i always wondered.. is it politcally correct to say "black" when discribing a person of negro origin? i was just watching the interview from emily from big brother where she said "i love my black friends" or something to that effect and i winched when she said it, as i always do when i hear someone say black... is it PC and if not what IS the correct term?

Depends on where you are.
New Yorkers refer to it frequently for example.

It's all bollixology to be honest.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, if you say something which is construed as negative -just because you don't know what's PC these days.... a simple explanation and apology following that should be accepted on a one-to-one basis.

Once it's not directly abusive I would say if someone doesn't understand the apology and explanation then question their tolerance.

Kold

6ix wrote:

It annoys me when someone starts going on about "coloured" people - smacks of excessive political correctivism (or is it "correctiveness?")

I'd say more of patronising contempt.

Dave!

Martin Luther King Jnr always used the term "negro", so it's alright by me.

They're not black, and I'm not white, but it's close enough....... So those terms are also alright by me.

Hagar

Black is not the correct term to use at all. I always carry my Dulux shade card with me for when I bump into coloured people. That makes the correct term so much easier to find. Tha darkest I've met so far is "Burnt Sienna" althought there have been a few "Bitter Chocolates" and "Teaks". For the record I'm a cross between "Magnolia" and "Original Cream". HTH.

_Kaiser_

I'd say black myself.

The irony about this whole PC crap is that the people who get worked up most about it are White people :rolleyes: . Go watch MTV Base for an hour and you'll see how black people refer to each other. No tip-toeing around there!

Zillah

I loathe the phrase "African American". White people in the US don't get called "European Americans", why is it that only white people get to be just "American"?

The only thing thats different between myself and a black person is our skin...so if we're going to use different words to describe us why dance around the issue? I'm white, he's black. Lets not go guessing about how many generations ago his family left Africa. Mine came from Africa originally, and there's plenty of white people living in Africa too.

Pure pants.

WindSock

Whatever happened to using good ole 'Chocolate Face?'

SimpleSam06

Jimmy Rabbitte: Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud.

Mossy Monk

Golliwogs, political correctness gone mad when they were done away with.

smashey

Kold wrote:

Black people are black. Black is the right word. White people are white, Asia- things get a little more complicated.

Where would "occidental" and "oriental" fit into this?

Canis Lupus

smashey wrote:

Where would "occidental" and "oriental" fit into this?

No no no. They're called chinks. Don't you know annnnnnnnnything?

CuLT

Hagar wrote:

Black is not the correct term to use at all. I always carry my Dulux shade card with me for when I bump into coloured people. That makes the correct term so much easier to find. Tha darkest I've met so far is "Burnt Sienna" althought there have been a few "Bitter Chocolates" and "Teaks". For the record I'm a cross between "Magnolia" and "Original Cream". HTH.

Laughed my ass off!

Black is the new black.