Do you find being called "black" offensive?
 

I live in a small town in Canada, which has a very small black population. I've always just called people of African descent "blacks", in the same way I call Caucasians "whites", without meaning anything harmful or derogatory, as does everyone I know. I'm wondering, though, if "black" people don't like being called that, and would rather be called "African-Canadian" or a similar term. And is the term "Negro" any different?

White people live in Africa too, so it's not a very accurate term. I don't find it offensive and according to some of my friends they prefer to be called black because of it being inaccurate.

African- Canadian sounds bizarre.

I'm not offened. Also there are like three of us on here that I know of.
Anti is semi black I guess....He got dat fro.

This is gonna be a short thread.

i don't get offended if someone calls me black. i do get offended if they call me a jew though.

Well, we've got enough grammar Nazis on this forum, so I guess it's about time we had one of the more traditional variety. Willkommen, mein Herr!

I don't much care for this particular racist joke I heard the other day.

What do you call a white man in court?

The lawyer.

Whites go to court just like everybody else. We're not all lawyers and judges.

I don't much care for this particular lawyer jokes I heard the other day.

Q: What's the difference between a jellyfish and a lawyer?
A: One's a spineless, poisonous blob. The other is a form of sea life.

Lawyers are just like everybody else. They're not all spineless.

I don't find it offensive at all, but then again, I'm caucasian.

I find it offensive, because I'm white.

I find it to be pretty generic. I've heard fifty million and one racist jokes in my life, and laughed at a fair few of them, so why should one relatively benign racist joke be so terrible?

I've never witnessed or heard about anyone being offended by being called black. I think it's the most appropriate term considering not all black people are of african descent.

As far as I know brown/black/white are okay, it's just yellow/red that are offensive terms.

Who are these brown people that you speak of? Hispanics? Are they cool with "brown"?

idk who he is referring to with brown but desi refer to themselves as brown.

Also to answer the OP just ask the person you are talking to instead of just trying to lump the whole group together. Some people will be okay with it while others won't and they will let you know why.

"Desi"?

I always find he, she, that guy/girl etc. works best. Better still, use the persons name if you know it.

People from India and surrounding areas

As opposed to what, "Hey, you! Blackie! Yeah, you!"?

I have no problem with it. As a black man, I am proud of being a black man. But I could understand some blacks with this. Usually black is reference to American slaves. Meaning Africans who don't know their heritage. Some people use black as all African descendant of blacks were slave descendant.

Yes this.

I actually have a related question for everyone. I have noticed overtime that many people describe friends in stories by their race if they aren't the same.

For instance, my friend will be telling a story like "I was with "so and so" my BLACK friend" and then continue the story, but if it was some white guy they are talking about it's "I was with my friend "so and so"".

This is not just white people I have black/spanish friends that do it too.

Anyway, I brought this up to someone one day and I was saying how I never do it and found it to be mildly racist even if it wasn't truly/purposefully offensive. I think mentioning it is appropriate if their race is relative to the story but other than that why do we feel the need to emphasize such things?

Sub-conscious racism? I kinda think so.

No, I don't think so. Because there is a larger white population, it is assumed that you are referring to a white when you say "my friend". If you were in an area where the majority of people were black, you would use white in the same context.

If that was the case than people who aren't white wouldn't feel the need to say "my white friend", and white people I know from neighborhoods made up primarily of minorities wouldn't feel the need to say "my black/spanish friend".

I'm not saying they are racist for saying something like that but I think it's an interesting observation of the sub-conscious.

Well if you're telling a story then you may just be going for the visual. Most people have friends mostly of their same race, so it makes sense to specify.

interesting quote. But sometimes people may do that so they understand that they have friends that are different races.

I dont like being called a Kraut-Mick.

What is Kraut-Mick?

German Irish.

I see what you mean. Are you German and Irish?

It'd be kind of weird if he wasn't.

I want to make sure. I used to assume things a lot.

Which is exactly my point. why does it matter?

We are all supposed to be equal (and in many cases we genuinely feel this way) and yet we still feel the need to point out inter-racial relationships as if they deserve some sort of special recognition that normal relationships do not?

@Batlord- I acknowledged that point when I said I think it's okay if it's relevant to the story, but in many cases the story is "I went bowling with so and so, my black friend, he got a 300!". Zero relevance and yet race is still addressed.

It's not like "I brought my friend so and so, to some clan rally. He's a black dude, man you should have seen their faces!"

Please someone point out these "African Canadians" mythical beings that they are!

that they are what? I'm so confused... :rofl:

I'm still learning Roxy-speak.. this **** needs an app.

Means exactly what I said.
Read it really fast move your hands around and give it a bobble neck and a z- snap and it'll make more sense. ;)

You mean like Rae Dawn Chong?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_(rapper)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6jGPf6yvIU

Drake isn't really "African" though

K'naan is African Canadian.

Ricardo Montobon ?

Eh what? The Mexican actor?