Is it racist to say "black person"?

[MadonnaProject]

I've found the hard way even refering to black people can be considered racist which is why I avoid even the mention of a black person. In this day and age unless you are overly positive and complimenting of a certain people (if you know what I mean) you will not win. So I stay away from such stuff.

 

[tri_fin]

I've found the hard way even refering to black people can be considered racist which is why I avoid even the mention of a black person. In this day and age unless you are overly positive and complimenting of a certain people (if you know what I mean) you will not win. So I stay away from such stuff.

I took a social science course at university and the poor lecturer lived a total nightmare. He would try and refer to people and things in such a correct way that he took ages and ages to say anything. It was painful and quite funny.

Anyone take offence at anything. Talk is cheap! But words can be deeply offensive, hurtful and damaging...

I only talk to people about the weather or sport.

 

[th3joker]

its a double standard. you never hear anyone refer to asians and native americans and yellow people or red people. we shouldn't call native americans indians either. the stigma resides in the way the color white is seen as clean, pure, good, untainted ect, and then the color black is seen as dark, evil, dirty, tainted ect. i also despise the term african american. you dont use the same terms of african-english or african-british, nor would you call a black person born and raised in England a african american either. in my opionon we should come up with conpletely new classifications. i also hate the word cacuasian. sounds too much cock asian. if there were never any borders or rival tribes or physical differences what would we call ourselves? earthlings?

 

[pustal]

It all depends on context. If you say:

- Black twitter is on the rise; - nothin inheritantly racist about that.

- Obama was bad for America because he was black; - there is not much of a doubt that it was racist.

Same goes for the 'n' word:

- You're a disgrace because you are a f# n#; - absolutely racist

- I found and old crate of N# Joe tar soap the other day on the warehouse. - not racist

The point is: words aren't racist, sexist or bad per se. The people who use them can be. It as all to do with intent, perspective and context.

 

[Jayro]

I hate when people get upset over the word "n****", when it's literally just the Spanish word for black. Nobody gets upset for saying the French word "Noir" (black).

 

[Kigiru]

Depends on contexts and tone.
If you say it with an intention to use it as an insult then it's probably racist, but if you use "black people" as a blanket term for all dark-skinned nations then i don't see what's wrong with it.

 

[gameboy]

There was a boxing match that happened last year and politics got in the way that they decide one guy should 'lose' because the actions of his dad, politics should never blend with sports or gaming
NSFW rated 13 or whatever regular cable at night is rated

 

[MadonnaProject]

I took a social science course at university and the poor lecturer lived a total nightmare. He would try and refer to people and things in such a correct way that he took ages and ages to say anything. It was painful and quite funny.

Anyone take offence at anything. Talk is cheap! But words can be deeply offensive, hurtful and damaging...

I only talk to people about the weather or sport.

I absolutely agree. It has got so bad I have actually made an effort these recent weeks to not engage women in the office about banter. A few years ago we used to laugh and have fun and make silly jokes and sometimes these would get really risque but you knew it was all in good fun. I have also started actively avoiding speaking to this trans person at our local shop because once I inadvertently said to my girlfriend on the phone "I am speaking to kirk" and she said oh the man down the road and I said "yeah" and she asked "oh say hello" and I said "She says hello". And he went "I am not a she yet" and I was like "Oh so sorry HE says hello" and he went "Please refer to me as Kirk".

I could tell you a similar story about an individual of colour but like I said, the less its spoken about the better. The sad thing is this is making me avoid such people and that feels a bit racist but its not as it is just safer for everyone if you stay away from them and the situation they may make out of something.

 

[FAST6191]

I do find the "African-American" term pretty amusing, especially as many some would seek to apply it to might not have had ancestors in Africa for longer than some white skinned Europeans (various Aboriginal groups, some on the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean is an interesting case study too at times).

Anyway I don't know that I have heard black be deemed an improper word in the UK from anybody I would care to listen to on the matter. I have seen some dance around it when it would have been quite useful though.

In the absence of something better though I will have to kick it old school and go with darkies.

 

[Pacheko17]

It's not and if anyone thinks it is, they're a pussy.
It's just color, nothing else, what is racist is to keep dividing people like this and treating them differently because of their race.
"white pipol are devils!11"

 

[sarkwalvein]

Niga (니가) in Korean means You.

And this guy took it the wrong way. At least he has rocks tho.

That person is a bit crazy, I hope they locked him in some underground mental facility for eternity.

PS: I also think in almost any other part of the world half of the bus passengers would have kicked his ass already, the entitlement reeks, I guess Koreans are way too "pacific" though. Hell, I bet he would've been nearly lynched in Argentina.

 

[Jacklack3]

Wait chocolate comes in all different colors... White, Dark.

But white chocolate isn't actually made out of chocolate... Just like in real life! /s

 

[osaka35]

I for one call blacks blacks, as that's what they are, no changing that (unless your name is Jackson)! There's nothing wrong with it, there's no resentment or hate when I call them that, it's just a word, people need to learn that words don't really mean that much, attitude matters a lot more. It's like saying that it's a bad thing to call a bulldog a bulldog, like seriously, it's just a race and a simple word that is somewhat linked to it, no need to go out of your way to not offend people. Just like how I don't feel a thing when called a white, black is fine to refer to people of that race, as long as it's not said in a mean, vindictive, resentful or hateful manner, it's the least people need to worry about

skin colour is nothing like dog breeds "race" is an arbitrary decision, and not a very helpful or meaningful word outside a very specific context. it really just means "population that has this variable". change the variable, and the folks you thought were one "race", are suddenly in 5 different "races". it's arbitrary and has no inherent meaning. and skin colour can only ever tell you potential ancestory of the past few generations, nothing deeper or inherent. combining skin colour and race is meaningless, unless you're a scientist testing a particular population for something.

at least, scientifically. culturally, we do it all the time. we pass laws, we assume ability or culture, we assume all these things because we think there's some inherent difference. there ain't. it's all in our heads. but since most folk do it, that's how the culture has shaped and formed, and they exert their influence and social reality. that's what we deal with when we talk about what words we use: changing that culture of false associations.

it's weird. and false associations have caused nothing but problem for people of colour, among other things

if you want to learn more, look up things like the genetic bucket chain, or just how quickly genes spread between populations.

 

[cracker]

I'm white with pinkish hues.

Seriously, the context/tone of referring to a person with any color (or adjective for that matter) is the deciding factor. Sure, there are people of the referred group and (potentially unwanted) advocates that push PC alternative terms but I think the majority of people consider who it is coming from to make up their minds about the usage.

 

[leon315]

I hate when people get upset over the word "n****", when it's literally just the Spanish word for black. Nobody gets upset for saying the French word "Noir" (black).

because French is sexy af, and I LOVE ESCARGOT! the reason why Afros hate ''n****'', due their ancestors where forcedly EXPORTED by spanish and that was the common name they used in ''markets''. that's why this word is particularly triggering which reminds those afros the darkest tragedy of human traffics.

 

[leonmagnus99]

eyyh we also say Goku Black.

nothing racist about it dawg.

edit: its just a color cx

 

[EmanueleBGN]

"n****" is Spanish for "black" (the colour).
In Italian dialects, "n****" (in many variants, ex. "negher" or "negru") is the same for Spanish, the colour "black".
For centuries, in all languages, "n****" was used to refer to the Subsaharian dark-skinner people. It has became a "racist word" and now there are stupid people that see racism everywhere - a meme is worth a thousand words.
in Italy we say "nero" (the Italian workd for "black", not the dialectal "n****") so, for me, to say "black" to a dark-skinner person is not offensive.
I think it is more discriminatory to say "Afro-american". Why don't you call the white people "Euro-american"? Are the white people more Americans than the black people?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I know it probably isn't, but for some reason if i'm talking to someone, they or even me might say "dark-skinned" or something instead of just saying "black"... Is it racist to say "black person", or is it racist to try to avoid saying "black person"?

No. That wouldn't make any sense. If you call someone a black person and they're offended then kindly tell them to fuck off.
it's literally just describing their skin color. Sometimes things like that can turn into a derogatory term after something bad happens related to the term and that's understandable but as far as I know that hasn't happened in this case, and they can't expect people to know not to say something as general as that.

 

[dpad_5678]

Well according to SJW's everything is racist, however, even worse, conservatives and far right-ist Pepe trolls like to believe that racism/sexism/homophobia is just a myth.

Honestly, I just try to avoid mentioning race altogether. We're all made up of stardust, and we're a tiny spec in the galaxy. Nothing less, nothing more.

 

[FAST6191]

however, even worse, conservatives and far right-ist Pepe trolls like to believe that racism/sexism/homophobia is just a myth.

I am broadly familiar with most things that go on in such circles but I have never seen any of those call it a myth.