# Is this person a racist? Re use of the word "Negroes" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790 "2003-09-30T22:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790/41 "2003-10-03T10:13:35Z")
OK, I see that I skipped over the part about “under a certain age”. The problem is that there is no hard line for that age. You/we also don’t know how this 50-year old (or whatever age) person lives. Has he become a social shut-in? Does he give a rat’s behind about pop culture or attitudes? Is he just ignorant? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790/42 "2003-10-03T12:49:13Z")
As I said earlier, I used the word in a specific context: “If you’re using terms in a discussion about things specific to race as opposed to culture, i.e., negro and caucasian, I don’t know what other term would be appropriate. What term would you use? I believe it is the only “anthropological” (I think that’s the right word) term available to me.” I’m not uninformed. I’m not racist. I’m not trying to annoy anyone. I get it. I understand it, OK? I’m just saying that I thought the word “negro” has a place in SOME conversations, but not the in way it used to. I guess I would ask how you would phrase the sentence above. Would you say “black and caucasian”? Somehow that just doesn’t mean the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790/43 "2003-10-03T16:57:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ccwaterback \* > \*\*Just a comment. Most people I have known that use the word racist frequently, are the most racist people I know. Whoopi Goldberg for example. \*\* You know Whoopi Goldberg? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\* > As I said earlier, I used the word in a specific context: > > “If you’re using terms in a discussion about things specific to race as opposed to culture, i.e., negro and caucasian, I don’t know what other term would be appropriate. What term would you use? I believe it is the only “anthropological” (I think that’s the right word) term available to me.” > > I’m not uninformed. I’m not racist. I’m not trying to annoy anyone. I get it. I understand it, OK? I’m just saying that I thought the word “negro” has a place in SOME conversations, but not the in way it used to. I guess I would ask how you would phrase the sentence above. Would you say “black and caucasian”? Somehow that just doesn’t mean the same thing. \*\* Sorry **Kalhoun** , but you were mistaken on this one. “Negro” and “Caucasian” are not current anthropological terms. I would not say “Negro and Caucasian”, nor would I say “Black and Caucasian”. “Caucasian” is just as badly out of date as “Negro”, if perhaps less likely to cause unintended offense. I have difficulty imagining any conversation taking place in the past few decades where the terms “Negro” and “Caucasian” would be necessary. Not only are they old-fashioned, they refer to a simplistic racial grouping system that is no longer accepted by the general scientific community. In fact, I just flipped open my Webster’s and the entries for these outdated racial terms have “No longer in scientific use” at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790/44 "2003-10-03T19:47:13Z")
Well, I stand corrected on the usage of both terms. I guess I need to brush up on that. But it was an innocent mistake and I still fail to see where usage in this sense would be offensive. Outdated, maybe. But offensive? It was CLEARLY not being used in a derrogatory fashion. Anyone who knows me understands that I’m on the FAR LEFT of racial, civil liberties, and general human rights issues. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790/45 "2003-10-03T21:10:07Z")
I agree with **threeorange** about **owlofcreamcheese** ’s ‘rule.’ Just because someone has learned to express racist views with subtlety doesn’t make them less racist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-person-a-racist-re-use-of-the-word-negroes/204790.md?page=2)