How insulting is Colored (vs. African American)

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by Shellfish

A friend of mine used to say, back in the '80s, that her grandmother preferred being called colored. She must have been about 80 then. I reckon she could choose how she wanted to be referred to.

I have one little drop and like to use the term octoroon, but I think that it's not preferred. It needs to be reclaimed.

Why would you want to reclaim racist language? Terms like this were created by a racist society that sought to classify mixed slaves by the amount of white they had in them and therefore to access their value as human beings. Mulatto for example is derived from the word "mule" and a mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. In other words, half and half....as in half black and half white. I think most people don't use such language because they know the history behind it. So let's not reclaim it.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by tld221

i feel like, at 83, "colored" is what was used growing up. i mean, "colored" is probably better than other terms he heard coming up.

if someone called me colored... they would get the blankest stare. its up there with calling an Asian "oriental."

Ditto.

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Are you Black? If not, then how can you say what is or should be insulting to a person of a different race?

Bingo.

I just came from a final, so if this doesn't make sense, oh well, my brain is fried.

DISCLAIMER: Why even start the thread? We all know the answer will be "personal preference" after several pages of squabbling even though people probably said it on the first page. That's if it doesn't become a classic GC train wreck first.

Anywho, I think it's determined by region and time period. What names were okay decades ago may not be okay now except for with the people who formed their racial identities decades ago. Someone called me colored and my reaction made her never say it to me again and I bet she hesitates to use it with someone else. I don't mind being called "Black" but that word was used negatively toward my sister growing up (other kids kept comparing her to a crayon or something stupid like that), so she teaches her son that he is not "Black," he is "Brown." You get all kinds and it varies. Some people like "Caramel," but a girl in college said she feels dehumanized when she is reduced to a food comparison. I know a girl who doesn't like being labeled so, when asked what she prefers to be called, she will say "my name" and leave it there. You will never get a straight answer on this one.