# Colored people is now a slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654 "2016-08-22T18:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/1 "2016-08-22T18:44:20Z")
From [NY Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/gma-host-amy-robach-apologizes-racial-slur-article-1.2760927): > [@](#): > > “Good Morning America” host Amy Robach has apologized for using a racial slur on national television Monday. > > “This morning during a segment about Hollywood casting, I mistakenly said ‘colored people’ instead of ‘people of color,’” Robach said in a statement. > > “I sincerely apologize. It was a mistake and is not at all a reflection of how I feel or speak in my everyday life.” Try as I might I cannot see for the life of me see the difference between _colored people_ and _people of color_. You change the order of the words and suddenly it’s racist? Is this really the case? ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/2 "2016-08-22T18:48:15Z")
CP was what the melanin-proficient were called in the 50s. You know, the time of separate bathrooms and Jim Crow. PoC is the current PC term. I am not sure the status of African-American, except that Idris Elba doesn’t like being called that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/3 "2016-08-22T18:48:37Z")
As far as I know, colored is considered rude and _waaay_ behind the times but it could be racist if used by someone under, say, 60 years of age(WAG). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/4 "2016-08-22T18:50:48Z")
I think they had graduated from Colored People to Negroes by the 1950s, no? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/5 "2016-08-22T18:53:57Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > CP was what the \*\*melanin-proficient \*\*were called in the 50s. You know, the time of separate bathrooms and Jim Crow. PoC is the current PC term. I am not sure the status of African-American, except that Idris Elba doesn’t like being called that 🙂 Wouldn’t that be "melanin-abundant? Proficient means they’re really good at it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/6 "2016-08-22T18:55:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think they had graduated from Colored People to Negroes by the 1950s, no? I think Colored was still used in the 1950s. I think the best explanation for the difference between “Colored” and “People of Color” is that the first reminds too many people of the pre-civil rights era United States and therefore should be avoided, while “People of Color” is post-civil rights era and maybe a little more inclusive. I’ve heard it used to describe all people that aren’t Caucausian. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/7 "2016-08-22T18:57:46Z")
There’s a trend nowadays in some circles for what’s called “person-first terminology”. It applies to all sorts of descriptors, not just race: Thus, for instance, one is supposed to say “person with autism”, instead of “autistic person”. The purported rationale for it is that leading off with the adjective is supposedly dehumanizing, while person-first terminology affirms that the person is first and foremost a person. In practice, though, the person-first terminology is often awkward enough that it serves only to draw attention to the qualifier. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/8 "2016-08-22T18:58:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think they had graduated from Colored People to Negroes by the 1950s, no? Yeah, but crackers don’t know that 'cuz they done dropped out of middle school. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/9 "2016-08-22T18:59:27Z")
So white is racist but person of white isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/10 "2016-08-22T19:00:53Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Yeah, but crackers don’t know that 'cuz they done dropped out of middle school. I made it all the way through Middle School-- both 4th and 5th grades! ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/11 "2016-08-22T19:05:19Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Wouldn’t that be "melanin-abundant? Proficient means they’re really good at it. > 😉 You know, I was thinking the Idris Elba joke would get the notice, but noooooo …Maybe I am talking about the efficiency of their melanocytes. Yes. Clearly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/12 "2016-08-22T19:08:40Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > You know, I was thinking the Idris Elba joke would get the notice, but noooooo > > … What, that he’s not American? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/13 "2016-08-22T20:10:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > As far as I know, colored is considered rude and _waaay_ behind the times but it could be racist if used by someone under, say, 60 years of age(WAG). The [http://www.naacp.org/](http://www.naacp.org/) begs to differ. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/14 "2016-08-22T20:17:24Z")
The NAACP was also founded in 1909 when colored person was far more common and not necessarily derogatory. Were the organization founded today, I am skeptical it would be the NAACP. I am 27 and referring to someone as colored or a colored person is associated with the elderly and the racist to me. I would be aghast to hear someone use it in regular conversation. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/15 "2016-08-22T20:17:31Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Yeah, but crackers don’t know that 'cuz they done dropped out of middle school. Hahahaha so funny using an actual racial slur in thread asking if something’s a racial slur. But it’s okay because it’s against white people. Sorry, persons of lack of color. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/16 "2016-08-22T20:21:31Z")
The only person I knew who used the term colored people was my grandmother. She got excused because she was born in 1900. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/17 "2016-08-22T20:22:50Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I am 27 and referring to someone as colored or a colored person is associated with the elderly and the racist to me. I would be aghast to hear someone use it in regular conversation. Take it from a person of non-27-ness, wait a year and what you now know will be racist. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/18 "2016-08-22T20:23:02Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > So white is racist but person of white isn’t? No. Nobody said anything that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that. It’s an unreasonable conclusion. Let me know if you need anything else. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/19 "2016-08-22T20:30:13Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > No. Nobody said anything that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that. It’s an unreasonable conclusion. > > Let me know if you need anything else. How could it not be more clear? > [@Chronos](#): > > There’s a trend nowadays in some circles for what’s called “person-first terminology”. It applies to all sorts of descriptors, not just race: Thus, for instance, one is supposed to say “person with autism”, instead of “autistic person”. The purported rationale for it is that leading off with the adjective is supposedly dehumanizing, while person-first terminology affirms that the person is first and foremost a person. In practice, though, the person-first terminology is often awkward enough that it serves only to draw attention to the qualifier. Saying “white person” is dehumanizing. It should be “person of whiteness” except that is obviously colorist. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654/20 "2016-08-22T20:33:37Z")
How could it not be more clear? Well, it could be phrased like that question, I suppose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colored-people-is-now-a-slur/763654.md?page=2)