# News Anchor is fired for referring to Kamala Harris as colored in news promo **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775 "2020-08-22T20:45:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/61 "2020-08-23T04:06:43Z")
Maybe he thought something of color is colored. NewSpeak marches on. War is Peace. Big Brother says so. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/62 "2020-08-23T04:11:57Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Really? So now you’re claiming that your post which said > > > [@Ynnad](#): > > > > Can you imagine trying to explain to a hypothetical person from another planet who knew nothing about Earth why “colored” is offensive but “person of color” is not? > > …does not imply that _you_ think the reason is hard to understand? Well it wouldn’t be exactly _obvious_ to someone who didn’t know the history behind the two terms. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/63 "2020-08-23T04:33:25Z")
In the Wikipedia article linked upthread, I find the following quote: > [@](#): > > In 2008, its [the NAACP’s] communications director Carla Sims said “the term ‘colored’ is not derogatory, [the NAACP] chose the word ‘colored’ because it was the most positive description commonly used [in 1909, when the association was founded]. It’s outdated and antiquated but not offensive.” ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/64 "2020-08-23T04:39:57Z")
The phrase “person of color” was first used in its present connotation since about the 1970s. But about two hundred years ago the term was used to distinguish mixed-race persons of African and European ancestry from darker-skinned persons of mostly African ancestry. Also, many years ago, the use of the term Negro was encouraged because Black was considered offensive. So what does this mean? Things are constantly changing. If you want to sound like a nice person then keep yourself educated and choose your words carefully. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/65 "2020-08-23T05:03:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How am I supposed to know it’s now considered racist? This is the first time I’ve seen the term used publicly in decades. Seriously? > [@needscoffee](#): > > So if someone said to you, “Hey, look at that colored guy”, it wouldn’t hit you as racist? Seriously? I was raised by people who use “colored”, and they don’t say “Hey, look at that colored guy”. They say “Waaall, now, if it ain’t one o’ them coloreds… walkin’ like they’s just as good as anyone else.” ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/68 "2020-08-23T05:33:50Z")
The news anchor said, “first colored vice presidential candidate.” I suppose he could have said “first African-American vice presidential candidate” or “first Black vice presidential candidate” and that would be OK. But suppose for whatever reason the TV station preferred the term “person of color.” How would you say that using the same short, simple sequence of “first [racial descriptor] vice presidential candidate.”? Remember this was a quick promo teaser. “First person of color vice presidential candidate” just doesn’t sound natural, does it? “Person of color” doesn’t seem to work as both a noun and an adjective like African-American does. Come to think of it, Black doesn’t really work as both a noun and an adjective either. You wouldn’t say, “Look at that Black standing over there across the street.” would you? The English language is funny like that sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/70 "2020-08-23T05:35:58Z")
They reword it. It’s their job. It’s what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/71 "2020-08-23T05:38:58Z")
That’s the point I was trying to make. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/74 "2020-08-23T05:43:39Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > They reword it. It’s their job. It’s what they do But “first vice presidential candidate of color” doesn’t really sound right either. It’s a good thing I’m not a news editor. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/77 "2020-08-23T07:57:06Z")
Honestly, the very delineation of ‘colored person’ vs. ‘person of color’ is a bit absurd to begin with. It would be like as if we as a society said that it’s rude to call someone a ‘fat person,’ but it’s good to call them a ‘person of fat.’ ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/81 "2020-08-23T08:47:55Z")
Nope, we don’t say “colored”. We say “Coloured”. Totally different, see. 😀 Also, it doesn’t mean _quite_ the same thing here. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/92 "2020-08-23T14:30:14Z")
In ny defense, I said “heard” . . . But yes. If I heard someone describe Harris that way, my first thought would be it was South African related reference to her very specific heritage. Like someone from SA who didn’t know much about race relations here… That seems more likely than an American dredging up a term from 50 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/93 "2020-08-23T15:14:44Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > That seems more likely than an American dredging up a term from 50 years ago I wish that were true, but the odds of someone being a racist American are higher than them being any kind of South African. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/94 "2020-08-23T16:52:10Z")
Absolutely. But the term is not in common use even there. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/96 "2020-08-24T01:44:34Z")
One more thing. If I remember what my mother told me about her sojourn to Georgia in 1944 correctly, the water fountains were labeled “white” and “colored.” The bathrooms too, I assume. She like to piss off the locals by drinking from the “colored” fountain. They could have labeled them worse things, but maybe that’s one of the reasons the term doesn’t work any more. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/97 "2020-08-24T11:04:55Z")
I am not sure where exactly you grew up, but I’m pretty sure it was around the same time I did.( I am 57) I don’t recall what word my textbooks used, but it sure wasn’t “colored”. And I distinctly remember when it was used on “All in the Family” , it was not seen as a respectful term. But even assuming your high school textbooks used it in the 70s, that was over 40 years ago. Do you seriously believe a 26 year old news anchor believes the term is acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/98 "2020-08-24T12:04:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Honestly, the very delineation of ‘colored person’ vs. ‘person of color’ is a bit absurd to begin with. > [@Ynnad](#): > > Can you imagine trying to explain to a hypothetical person from another planet who knew nothing about Earth why “colored” is offensive but “person of color” is not? Whoa. English, you know, man? Whoa. Why do you drive on a parkway but park on a driveway. Whoa. > [@Ynnad](#): > > Things are constantly changing. If you want to sound like a nice person then keep yourself educated and choose your words carefully. I know, right! First came the 1960s when it was sort-of OK to use colored boy to refer to a black kid and then, boom! 50 years later, it’s not good anymore. None of you amazed by this super-fast transition has seen Caddyshack, I guess: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TCCssEas6LE/maxresdefault.jpg "Caddyshack - The Jew, the Catholic, and the colored boy HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCCssEas6LE) ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/99 "2020-08-24T13:13:10Z")
Interesting. I grew up in the 60s with very liberal parents, and “colored” was bad; “negro” was the accepted term. Then in the 70s that morphed to “black”, and more recently to “African-American” (the least accurate term in so many cases) and PoC. Not arguing with your timeline, just noting that it appears not to have been consistent, presumably regionally. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/100 "2020-08-24T14:06:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Of course they have changed. I already said my books in college were updated to African-American. > > I’ve considered colored obsolete since then. I don’t use that term anymore. > > Racist? I hadn’t really seen it discussed anywhere. I haven’t seen it used in decades. The point is that he’s in the news industry. His job is to speak in public. So part of his core job requirements are understanding the connotations of common words. Either he’s racist and intentionally used a edscription that has fallen out of favor, or he is incompetent in his field. If some 70 year old nuclear scientist said “she is our first colored…” I might give them a pass, if there was no other evidence of racism. But a 26 year old news anchor, someone too young to have possibly “grown up using that word” and whose JOB is to get words right? Naw. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775/101 "2020-08-24T14:45:18Z")
What do you want to bet there are at least a few people in the United States that would be offended by the term “person of color”? Myself, I would be be leery of using that term in public speaking unless I knew my audience well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-anchor-is-fired-for-referring-to-kamala-harris-as-colored-in-news-promo/918775.md?page=5)