They’re both racist because they were used in a racist manner for decades; that’s more than enough reason to avoid them. These are terms everybody objects to. It makes no sense to say “there’s nothing racist about the terms.” There’s nothing insulting about any given word except for the agreed-upon meanings.
Wouldn’t that make him a mulatto, as long as we’re being old-fashioned about it?
Hell, yeah, I guess it would: I look up “mulatto” on Wikipedia and Obama’s picture comes up, I shit you not.
So the previously mentioned UNCF and NAACP get the “only the people who are the target of the insult can use it” pass?
ETA: I’m trying not to argue either side here. But this discussion does remind me of that one Bloom County were the alien-zapped PC sensitive Steve Dallas was arguing with his mother about this issue (in fact, both above organizations came up in the ensuing discussion!)…
Steve’s Mom: People of color?
Steve: People of color.
Steve’s Mom: Colored people.
Steve: NO!