Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stop Saying 'People of Color' When You Mean Black
https://www.msn.com ^ | 27 May 2021 | Andrea Plaid and Christopher MacDonald-Dennis

Posted on 05/28/2021 5:46:21 AM PDT by Red Badger

This week, we're marking the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His death at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin—who has been convicted of two counts of murder and one of manslaughter—sparked a national conversation about racism in America. It's a conversation that's long overdue, that activists like us have been waiting for for too long.

But the national conversation hasn't been perfect. Far from it. And we've noticed one particular penchant that we feel requires correction: the use of the term "people of color" when what you mean is Black.

"People of color" or POCs as it's known in shorthand is a term that activists came up with back in the 70s to replace the commonly used terms "non-white" or "minority." The use of POC was seen as a way of centering the non-white narrative, giving minoritized people back their subjectivity in a sense. And it caught on, becoming commonplace in the media by the 90s.

The problem is when you use the term "people of color" when what you mean is Black.

Take, for example, police brutality. As America has come to understand finally, the police are disproportionately killing Black people. To use the term "people of color" or even the newly popular BIPOC, which stands for Black and Indigenous people of color, to speak about police brutality obscures Black people's specific struggle against police brutality.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

1 posted on 05/28/2021 5:46:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

People of color = colored people. We’ve gone full circle.


2 posted on 05/28/2021 5:48:15 AM PDT by cuban leaf (We killed our economy and damaged our culture. In 2021 we will pine for the salad days of 2020.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
The problem is when you use the term "people of color" when what you mean is Black.

The problem is when you capitalize "black" as if it was always that way. Sick of this Shit.

3 posted on 05/28/2021 5:48:51 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
GAH!

Do they want to be called "Black" or not!?

4 posted on 05/28/2021 5:49:01 AM PDT by KC_Lion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Also ... stop saying ‘Black’ when you mean ‘black’.


5 posted on 05/28/2021 5:49:32 AM PDT by bassmaner (He y commies: I'm a white male, and guilty of NOTHING! Sell your 'white guilt' elsewhere!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Don’t presume to tell me what words to use. You should have learned that before first grade.


6 posted on 05/28/2021 5:49:51 AM PDT by ResponseAbility (-The truth of liberalism is the stupid can feel smart, the lazy entitled, and the immoral unashamed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: unixfox

Beat me to it ...


7 posted on 05/28/2021 5:50:18 AM PDT by bassmaner (He y commies: I'm a white male, and guilty of NOTHING! Sell your 'white guilt' elsewhere!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Soul Brothers


8 posted on 05/28/2021 5:50:50 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
…Black people's specific struggle against police brutality.

The “struggle” seems to be one of respecting authority, not resisting arrest, not attacking officers, not fleeing, not pointing weapons at officers, not going after officers with knopives and crowbars, and generally obeying the law.

9 posted on 05/28/2021 5:50:58 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session" - Gideon J. Tucker)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

When we visited Trinidad and Tobago, I was called, “that colorored man”...I am white. So you are correct.


10 posted on 05/28/2021 5:52:25 AM PDT by CincyRichieRich (WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, REBELLION BECOMES DUTY 1-6-21, American Revolution II Began)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

So, I need to figure out...

Am I a Person of Discolor, or a Discolored Person?

Or am I a Clear Person, or a Person of Clarity?

Or just invisible?


11 posted on 05/28/2021 5:52:36 AM PDT by _longranger81 (God help us, Every One. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

In everyday meaning WHITE is also a color. Its a basic color in paint stores everywhee.


12 posted on 05/28/2021 5:53:10 AM PDT by Don Corleone (leave the gun, take the canolis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Sorry, I will always use the term black. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. And African American is STUPID! since not all blacks are American!


13 posted on 05/28/2021 5:54:06 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Most of the non-black People of Color I know don’t want anything to do with being lumped in with blacks.


14 posted on 05/28/2021 5:54:54 AM PDT by euram
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cuban leaf

In the spectrum of light, I thought black was the absence of color and white was the combination of all colors.


15 posted on 05/28/2021 5:55:20 AM PDT by redshawk ( I want my red balloon. ( https://youtu.be/zNLpfEDliV0)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Problem is, “People of Color” doesn’t just mean blacks.
It is a linguistic trick to group all non-whites together in opposition of ‘colorless’ folks, i.e. whitey.
It is intended to make whites ‘the other’ and justify or rationalize harming them.


16 posted on 05/28/2021 5:55:20 AM PDT by Little Ray (Corporations don't pay taxes. They collect them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KC_Lion

Seems like a few years ago, they were saying we should be using POC and not black. Now they’re flip flopping.

I ca kind of see the point. POC plural is POCs which sounds like Pox.


17 posted on 05/28/2021 5:55:21 AM PDT by Pollard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

BIPOC also includes non Castilian Hispanics, and in this country also means Muslims and those here illegally.


18 posted on 05/28/2021 5:56:16 AM PDT by Thunder90 (All posts soley represent my own opinion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KC_Lion; All

Why aren’t they saying People of Color
Matter? Or Colored People matter?
Should James Brown’s hit be re recorded
(he’s dead though)—Say It Loud, I’m
A Person of Color And I’m Proud?

“Don’t call me Colored!”
“Okay, how about Person of Color?”
“That’s OK”

When does NAACP change its name to
NAAPOC?
And United Negro College Fund still
has its name though people have objected
to a mountain being called Mt Negro.


19 posted on 05/28/2021 5:56:19 AM PDT by raccoonradio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Back during Promise Keepers, I recall Rev. Raleigh Washington saying - when it was still okay to speak of such things -
"I don't know why we're called color people.
When a white man is angry, his face turns red.
When he is sick, he turns green.
When he is cold, it turns blue,
When he gets tanned, he is brown.
and when he comes out of the womb, he is pink."
20 posted on 05/28/2021 5:56:25 AM PDT by tenger (And we let the Government padlock the church doors...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson