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[palsch]

Even then, not things I've ever seen seriously put forwards on Tumblr or any similar site.

[MagmaMcFry]

Basically political correctness is there to avoid enraging people who don't know the difference between the meaning and connotation of words. "Black" is a trigger word for those people (let's call them connotationists). The actual meaning of the word refers only to skin color, yet it's culturally associated with crime, poverty and lowerclassness. So calling people black is (in connotationists' eyes) equivalent to calling them criminals, and they'll get all angry about that. Political correctness is a method to avoid rousing the connotationists.

Got a single source for this?

Because this is absolute bullshit of the highest order.

Source: Myself, just earlier.
So you say this is bullshit, and you want me to defend my position? I can't defend my position if I don't know what you think is wrong with it. If you think it's wrong, you must have an alternative explanation, and I'd like to hear it. For example, let's say I call a black person black, and someone gets offended (if nobody got offended, it wouldn't be politically incorrect, amirite?). Tell me why that someone gets offended.

The ideas of black being a trigger word or the whole "connotationists" thing are complete nonsense. I mean, I'm assuming here that I read more "social justice" sites than most people on this forum, and I've not come across either of these concepts on any sort of site talking about racism and racial issues. And it's not like they are quiet on these fronts.

I presume you tried to apply the Tumblr definition of the word "trigger", the things that recall traumatic memories. I was just referring to the standard English definition of trigger: "thing that makes things do stuff", in this case "word that makes people offended". And the "connotationists" thing is a word I just invented in the previous post for the purpose of my statement and possible further discussion, so it's no wonder you haven't heard of it.

[palsch]

Very simply, the whole argument that 'black' is a term responded to in such a way by anyone, outside of specific contexts.

Like I said;

Now the preference between the two terms is largely split, with various people having their own reasons for preferring one term over the other. But as a general rule neither is actually seen as an insult. That said, black can be an insult in some cases, mostly when used as a noun. Referring to someone as a black rather than a black person or similar can be seen as reducing them to their race and eliminating their personhood. Given there's a bit of a history of that...

[MagmaMcFry]

Very simply, the whole argument that 'black' is a term responded to in such a way by anyone, outside of specific contexts.

Like I said;

Now the preference between the two terms is largely split, with various people having their own reasons for preferring one term over the other. But as a general rule neither is actually seen as an insult. That said, black can be an insult in some cases, mostly when used as a noun. Referring to someone as a black rather than a black person or similar can be seen as reducing them to their race and eliminating their personhood. Given there's a bit of a history of that...

Wait a moment, are you actually trying to claim that the word "black" isn't considered politically incorrect at all? Who's the one talking nonsense here?

[Reverie]

Very simply, the whole argument that 'black' is a term responded to in such a way by anyone, outside of specific contexts.

Like I said;

Now the preference between the two terms is largely split, with various people having their own reasons for preferring one term over the other. But as a general rule neither is actually seen as an insult. That said, black can be an insult in some cases, mostly when used as a noun. Referring to someone as a black rather than a black person or similar can be seen as reducing them to their race and eliminating their personhood. Given there's a bit of a history of that...

Wait a moment, are you actually trying to claim that the word "black" isn't considered politically incorrect at all? Who's the one talking nonsense here?

Not by itself, it isn't. It's as much a slur as calling white people 'white' when used in indifferent conversation.

[MagmaMcFry]

I know it technically isn't offensive unless intended to be, but there's obviously a reason why the term "African American" is so popular.

[penguinofhonor]

I see it get used all the time, even in tumblry social justice discussions, without anyone caring.

Some people decided that the best response to certain words becoming socially unacceptable is to use "black" in the exact same way they would use the n word before. People get offended by this because there is still very clear contempt and racism. So the racists' defense is that you can't say anything nowadays without being called racist, just look, they used the good word and everything!

Well people say black all the time without getting called out on it. Maybe the difference between you and them isn't the word you're using.

[TD1]

Well, yes. Just don't mention it. If you have to, then just say black. It's not racist to say a word. The meaning behind the word isn't racist. If the intent is racist, it will obviously be so and that doesn't mean absolutely no one can ever use that word again, heaven forbid!

If someone called me white, I wouldn't give a fig. If they called me a "Dirty white" or somesuch, I would.

[Moghjubar]

I know it technically isn't offensive unless intended to be, but there's obviously a reason why the term "African American" is so popular.

And yet not really universally correct.  If one is American they are not necessarily African, and if ones color is dark then one is not necessarily an African American (possibly neither).

Its like people forget that America isn't the only option for where someone is from when it comes for race, suddenly everyones "African American", even black dudes from England (maybe especially dudes from England).

Obviously the best solution is to use web color codes, along with ranges of color, since honestly theres a lot of ranges and trying to lump everyone under one universal color is lazy racism.   Or maybe stop caring about it so much but I guess we still aren't there yet.

[LordSlowpoke]

one of the best ways to make a racist not racist is to ask him/her to pretend everybody's white

it's the same concept as acting confident and then suddenly you are confident

therefore put your ranges in the shooting area

[palsch]

Wait a moment, are you actually trying to claim that the word "black" isn't considered politically incorrect at all? Who's the one talking nonsense here?

Not among those who it actually concerns.

I'm trying to dig up the origins of why people think this, but can't find much. All the cases of people finding black offensive seem to be second/third hand accounts of someone who heard that someone else had heard that someone was trying to ban some inoffensive use of the word.

That or people using it in the noun form ("A black.") and confusing the offence caused by the dehumanising nature of that with the word in general.

As I pointed out before (with this link) there has been serious debate within the black community as to what terms are best to use. African American was often used by analogy to various European-American terms (eg, Italian-American) and when some elements of the debate filtered into mainstream media, with African-American being viewed as the winner (mostly due to Jesse Jackson using it, although he seems to use the two interchangeably as well). African American is mostly viewed as more formal, which seems to make people view it as more politically correct, but I can't see anything that suggests 'black' ever became politically incorrect.

Except maybe it's association with the black power movement? I'm not sure about that part.

Of course, it can be more complicated with that, with African American being viewed as a particular subset of black culture stemming from American slavery (even to the exclusion of more recent African immigrants, as with people who viewed Obama as outside that culture compared to his wife). It can be a more precise and accurate term at times, if talking about such things.

[Loud Whispers]

Russian orthodoxy.

One true religion.

R'hollorthodoxy
One true God of Slav

[tahujdt]

I don't know what all this verbal dancing is for around the word black? Just say it. Ya know, the way you'd say white?

Reminds me of a racist joke that is still kinda funny once you get it.

Spoiler:  Spoilered for decency (click to show/hide)

Ya know, things are getting so P.C. nowadays that you can't say black anymore. You can't even say "black paint". You have to say "Jamal, can you please paint the living room?"

Also, being 'African-American' doesn't necessarily make one black, either. A friend of mine's father is a white South African, so he gets to put 'African American' on his applications and whatnot, so he can exploit any affirmative action.

[tahujdt]

Considering that connotationists often make statements to the effect that nonwhites are metaphysically and essentially unable to have anything good or make improvements in status due to the existence of white people, yeah, I'd say they aren't worth listening to.

Seen way too much of this. It's funny, because a lot of the people saying that whites are evil call themselves 'TransPOC', as in, they're white, but they want to get on the 'white people are scum' bandwagon, so they call themselves something else.

Unrelated: what if a 'normal' person decided that they identified as trans? Would it be transtrans?

[GlyphGryph]

Wait a moment, are you actually trying to claim that the word "black" isn't considered politically incorrect at all? Who's the one talking nonsense here?

It's not. But it IS a word that can be and regularly is used in politically incorrect and racist ways. It is equivalent to Jew in pretty much every way. Most organizations prefer to issue guidelines that their people use African American because it's not as easy to use for casual racism. It's about framing and mindsets more than political correctness. Organizations have an interest in their employees and reporters not saying racist stuff, and it turns out some people have difficulty not saying racist stuff when they are allowed to use the word "black", and it's better to have those people use a different word.