View Full Version : The word "Colored"....
RoseDelight
12-18-2004, 01:20 PM
Yeah, I am going to try and speak with him about it when I get back in Jan. It seems like a loss cause though.....I've said it over and over again and he still won't get the hint. I even tried using her name throughout the whole day...."Yes, I'll get Thalia to bring that to your office"...."Yes, Thalia will come to the meeting"....He'll still a second later say,"Did you ask the colored girl to bring me my coffee?".....
As for the "African American" reference.....I am not a fan of it either. But she's from Kenya, and so she is an actual "African American"....A lot of the black workers that we have at my office are from Africa, or South Africa.
I think what annoys me most is that no one else is really saying anything about him calling her (or anyone that). I know it's a job, yes...But I'd feel disrespected if someone did that to me.
Bah, I'll be glad when his ass leaves.
Bridgette
12-18-2004, 02:41 PM
I dunno, perhaps an anonymous letter sent to the appropriate authority dealing with workplace discrimination would help him understand. ;)
tampafldancer
12-18-2004, 03:26 PM
Well i don't know how "anonymous" it would be since she has already spoken up and seems to be the only one doing so. I'd say Let it ride since he is leaving(if you dont want to be in jepordy of loosing your job). You have made your peace.
Maybe just make a comment to Thalia when he says that in front of you and her again. "colored, uh right dude," (but not too loud, just loud enough for thalia to hear it)If she says anything to you about taking offense to what he is saying then you will know that it bothers her. Take it from there i guess.
B-unit
12-18-2004, 03:53 PM
i dont know if you could get a discrimination thing not like he is yelling racial slurs thats how alot of people talk about black people.A black dude i worked with said about this asain guy i worked with he said "that chinese motherfucker" i said hes korean he said "in the city they are all chinese motherfuckers" poretty much the same thing id think .I dont think he means to offend anyone but im not there to hear how he says it
AinNY
12-18-2004, 05:09 PM
Hey AinNY? Have you heard of that group called the Black Guy Pees?
Ok. I'm done w/ the black eye connotations. :P Rose's boss could use a good shiner though.
MW
I'm not getting the black eye thing /:O
SonicBones
12-18-2004, 05:43 PM
Yeah, I am going to try and speak with him about it when I get back in Jan. It seems like a loss cause though.....I've said it over and over again and he still won't get the hint. I even tried using her name throughout the whole day...."Yes, I'll get Thalia to bring that to your office"...."Yes, Thalia will come to the meeting"....He'll still a second later say,"Did you ask the colored girl to bring me my coffee?".....
As for the "African American" reference.....I am not a fan of it either. But she's from Kenya, and so she is an actual "African American"....A lot of the black workers that we have at my office are from Africa, or South Africa.
I think what annoys me most is that no one else is really saying anything about him calling her (or anyone that). I know it's a job, yes...But I'd feel disrespected if someone did that to me.
Bah, I'll be glad when his ass leaves.
I'm very impressed that you gave this topic enough thought and consideration to post this thread. Everyone can actually make a difference no matter how idealistic it may seem.If it is pointed out to the racist ,umm person who chooses to use these archaic words maybe it will eventually sink in. Rose your an articulate, intelligent woman I'm confident you can help him see the light;).
Moneywise
12-18-2004, 07:09 PM
I'm not getting the black eye thing /:O You'd have to get into Jim Rome to see any humor in it.
He made a comment one day about someone's bad conduct giving the sport they play a black eye. Well, someone heard it wrong and though he said black guy. This caller continued to insist he made a derogatory comment to the black race ::) and hung up. Rome spent the next segment making sure his audience knew he meant black eye and not black guy. It was actually quite funny and I know I am not doing it any justice here. You would have had to be listening to really enjoy thye humor in it. ;)
MW
Bridgette
12-19-2004, 02:09 AM
LOL MW, that's like someone here got on the race kick and swore up and down the phrase "pot calling the kettle black" was a racial slur. LOL
Sometimes people really are just too damn sensitive - looking for any and everything to be some stupid racial slur.
GnBeret
12-19-2004, 02:32 AM
There's a new secretary in my office (She's african american).....Everytime she leaves for something. My boss will come up to me and say the words,"I really like the new colored girl we hired"...."Do you think the colored girl will make the meeting?"....."Will you ask the colored girl to bring me coffee?"....
Maybe I am just being overly sensitive....But does that word bother anyone else?
No, but as it's my understanding that it does bother many African-Americans (and I'm assuming referring to them as such doesn't... see below), I don't use it and consciously "flinch" when I hear others do so.
That said, what does bother me is feeling like I have to worry about not being current as to how I'm supposed to "properly" refer to them (or any other race/ethnic group, for that matter) such that no unintended offense is mistakenly taken, i.e., whatever... but could we make it clear and stick with it?
MojoJojo
12-19-2004, 04:22 AM
but could we make it clear and stick with it?
This is the crux of my issue. Some seem to prefer black...some prefer African-American. Either is fine with me, but please recognize that it is unclear and as such being offended by me saying one or the other is assinine.
That said, this black guy I know at work told me to close the door on the dock when I was going out to smoke. I said to him - "Hey...what color am I???" He said "You're black, now go do it."
...the humor here is, of course, that I am white.
Amethyst
12-19-2004, 11:39 AM
"Colored" is offensive. Particulary to American blacks who were raised in the 50's - 60's for whom signs like "No Coloreds" or "Colored's Entrance in Back" or "Coloreds Allowed to Swim on _day Only" were very common occurances. "Colored" was and still is considered a more classy way of saying the "N-word".
RoseD, I would explain that very thing to your boss. If he still doesn't get it, or doesn't care, then I would speak to Human Resources and see if they can obtain some literature or a facilitator - even your boss's boss - that would help him and your co-workers nurture a more inclusive environment. That way, he doesn't feel like he's coming under attack, making him more receptive to some much needed education!!
As for African-American vs Black, most people I know prefer Black and have ever since the Black Power movement when "black" was embraced and no longer seen as a dirty word. Also, there are Caribbean-Americans, true AFRICAN-Americans (Black, Brown, and White), and people of mixed ethnicity, so you can't expect every black person in America to get together and collectively decide on what "they" as individuals want to be called.
Those who make the biggest deal about Af-Am vs Black seem to be the )media who will take the words of every other Black leader as gospel.
I find it interesting that most people don't have a problem being confused or become irritated with Americans of Latin or Asian descent declaring their ethnicity, as in Cuban-American or Korean-American, but heaven forbid a Black person have a preference ("uppity Nigras") or that a White person be called "Irish-American" ("White Power freaks").
GnBeret
12-19-2004, 04:43 PM
I find it interesting that most people don't have a problem being confused or become irritated with Americans of Latin or Asian descent declaring their ethnicity, as in Cuban-American or Korean-American, but heaven forbid a Black person have a preference ("uppity Nigras") or that a White person be called "Irish-American" ("White Power freaks").
Wow... and in all honesty, "ouch!" For reason(s) I'm still trying to identify (may take me awhile, too), I've never thought of it in such terms - somehow I wound up with a clear understanding of the concept re Asians, Latins, etc., but just missed it completely with Blacks... disturbing.
Thx Amethyst... although I'm feeling like the "village idiot" right now, I very much appreciate your pointing this out for me.:-[
Bridgette
12-19-2004, 05:20 PM
Well, the difference between terms like African-American, Cuban-American, Korean-American....and terms like black, white, asian, hispanic is that: the first set of terms describe a person's NATIONALITY, and the second set describes ETHNICITY.
Nationality is a person's citizenship or country of birth. Ethnicity is a person's RACE, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with where they're born or nationalized. Nationality and ethnicity(race) are two completely different things.
So no matter who says it, if you're born in the US and claim to be African-American, Korean-American, Cuban-American, etc when referring to ETHNICITY, you are using the terms incorrectly. Your ETHNICITY is still black, asian, hispanic....and you are simply AMERICAN (nationality).
As an aside: gaaaawwwd it annoys me to no end to be asked what's my "nationality" night after night by guys who want to know my ethnicity.
KyraBanks
12-20-2004, 08:03 PM
Technically there are only three races originally labeled mongoloid (asian), caucasoid (white), negroid (black). Ethnicity refers to what culture a person identifies with. For example, there are many black-hispanics. Nationality refers to the country of origin. It's completely possible to be a white-hispanic, asian-hispanic, black-hispanic american or even a white-hispanic cuban living in america. The possiblities are endless. That's why labeling is getting more and more ridiculous. It would be nice if we lived in a world where people only focused on our race, ethnicity or nationality because they are genuinely interested in learning more about the diffrent ways of living the world has to offer.
tiamaria
12-20-2004, 08:08 PM
. .. It would be nice if we lived in a world where people only focused on our race, ethnicity or nationality because they are genuinely interested in learning more about the diffrent ways of living the world has to offer.
;)
Bridgette
12-20-2004, 09:20 PM
Agreed.
Malibu
12-21-2004, 05:27 AM
Touchy subject. Being the only black girl in my neighbourhood, it was easier for people who didn't know me to single me out by skin tone. No problem really, because it was never in a derogatory manner. But to be honest, I prefer people to refer to me as 'the black or african girl' than 'coloured'. For some reason, it just feels slightly offensive, kind of like calling a pakistani or a chinese a paki or a chinky in my eyes. It shows some level of ignorance. I can't lay a finger on it. I also used to HATE it when kids at my school would refer to each other as 'black' when they meant that they were dirty. That was extremely offensive to me.
I think that if someone knows who you are, referring to them by their name is a lot more polite. It just shows (at least to me) that you're more of a person that just the race.
My :twocents:
MojoJojo
12-21-2004, 05:30 AM
I prefer for people to refer to me as "Yo Whitey".
Moneywise
12-22-2004, 10:13 PM
Hey AinNY. I was reading an article concerning the imminent hiring of the current LSU HC as the new coach of the Miami Dolphins and saw the words black eye used in the exact context I was trying to explain earlier. Here you go.
SABAN TO TAKE FINS GIG
A league source tells us that the Miami Dolphins will announce Nick Saban as the franchise's fifth head coach on Thursday.
ESPN's Len Pasquarelli reports that the Dolphins offered the job to Saban on Wednesday, but Pasquarelli says that Saban has not yet accepted the position. Our source says that, to the contrary, it's a done deal.
And, as we explained earlier on Wednesday, we doubt that the Dolphins would have made the offer absent at least a strong indication that Saban is prepared to take the job. From a P.R. perspective, the team simply couldn't afford to take another black eye following a staggering 12 months that included a virtually unprecedented string of bad moves and fiascos. If you had someone that wasn't, let's say, sharp enough to get it they might get offended. Read that bold sentence again but with the words black guy. lol..ok.. that's what Jim Rome was caught up explaining to some idiot.
same sentence. different sound...
And, as we explained earlier on Wednesday, we doubt that the Dolphins would have made the offer absent at least a strong indication that Saban is prepared to take the job. From a P.R. perspective, the team simply couldn't afford to take another black guy following a staggering 12 months that included a virtually unprecedented string of bad moves and fiascos.
With today's sensitivities about minorities not getting the fair opportunities to coach/manage on the professional sports level a sentence mistaken in that manner by the right person could have someone reeling for hours trying to explain what they meant. ;D
http://www.profootballtalk.com/
MW