# Why capitalize "Black"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 1, 2023, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-capitalize-black/977455 "2023-01-01T09:50:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 64
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-capitalize-black/977455/64 "2023-01-01T18:18:23Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > what’s up with the new trend to capitalize the word “black” when refering to their ethniticy? ? I’m baffled how anybody who’s on these boards even a fair amount, or even has been reading anything about race in America over the past few decades, can consider this a “new trend” that still needs explanation on the “what’s up with” level. Most recently, AFAICT, the discussion flared up in [this August 2021 Pit thread,](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/1519) shortly after [this July 2021 FQ thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-or-african-american/945610) on the same subject. As noted in that first link, this is a question that’s been canvassed in the writing of English for years and years. That doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it afresh here, just that it seems weird to me that anybody not living under a rock would consider it a “new trend”. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-capitalize-black/977455)._