Do you know anyone who still refers to black people as "negroes"?

[bluestateguy]

It seems that this word kind of disappeared from the American lexicon in the late 1960's/early 1970's, but it once was considered the appropriate and respectful terminology to refer to black Americans.

Do you know anyone who still uses this word?

[SharonAnn]

1. No, but I know someone who uses other terms, none of them nice.

[Modem Butterfly]

2. I live in the South

I know lots of people who still say negro, and more than a couple who still say colored.

[bmbmd]

3. I know several in my area of north Texas

who say "Knee-gra".

[okieinpain]

4. I do when they are only mildly stupid. it's funny that you should ask

at this particular moment. I just got through asking the "negroes" in my son's room could they please let me out of my own driveway.

[trof]

27. "only mildly stupid"...funny.

I'm gonna add that to my lexicon.
Thanks.
;-)

[kwassa]

5. My wife does sometimes ....

she also uses "colored".

and "black peoples"

"Negro" is the spanish word for the color "black", by the way.

and my wife is all of the above.

[kenny blankenship]

6. No but

i've known some white people down here who manage to say "black" with all the disparaging force that the n-word ever had. I've experienced that enough to want to find a more neutral expression, like African-descent people. But that's too many syllables not to be awkward, and everybody is of African descent if you go back far enough so the phrase can always be ridiculed.

[Left_Winger]

8. I know what you mean...

I have also heard the term "you people" used much the same way.

Bigotry in any form lights my fuse!:grr:

[trof]

30. True. Tone and context have alot to do with it.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. I was speaking to a 92 year old man awhile back who did

He said he would never say blacks because it was disrespectful.

[Terran]

22. Was he white or black?

Just curious on that one. What you say makes much sense to me from knowing my partner's grandmother, who died at 91 two years ago. In her youth and later, "Negroe" was the respectful term to use; when "Black" became current in the 1960's, a lot of older folks such as her didn't like it and wouldn't use it because to them, calling someone "black" had always been something of a put-down. Not a major thing, but of course African-Americans have a long tradition of valuing lighter skin, so calling somebody "black" was about the same as calling them fat or ugly.

It seems to me that nowadays "Negroe" is sometimes used sarcastically by younger Black people toward each other. Addressing someone as a Negroe implies that they're out of touch or just acting stupid.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

64. I just now saw this

He's Hispanic and his wife was a woman of Hispanic/Black roots who identified herself as "Negroe" according to him.

[maveric]

9. A middle-aged patient at work uses the phrase "Colored".

Now that one goes back a ways.

[Blue Gardener]

14. I think a lot of people still use that term

I think they've used it for so many years they don't even think twice about it.
Still trying to correct some of the people I work with to say Asians instead of Orientals. It's a process, they'll get it right someday.

[bluestateguy]

16. My grandmother did

And yet I never saw any evidence that she was in the slightest bit racist. She was born in 1910, however, and that's just how you referred to black people when she was growing up.

[roguevalley]

73. My grandpa was born in 1885 and he would say the N-word but

not hatefully. I think it was what was known then and he was just so old and back then, that was what he said. Usually, he would just say the person's name. His best friend was a black man and they used to sit on a bench in front of the feed store and talk for hours every day. He taught his kids to be good to people, color meant nothing. So the really old ones, you have to listen to what they say. Young ones using the n-word? I think its a slur.

RIP Charles Augustus Paxton b. 1885, died 1976

[trof]

28. OK, Blue. Help me out here.

A while back I used the term "oriental" here.
I was nicely and gently "corrected".
No prob.

But I don't understand the difference.
Thanks in advance.

[ghostsofgiants]

31. Try this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient

[trof]

34. Thanks. Is this a bit overly PC?

"Major objection to the use of oriental is chiefly limited to North America. Its use is much less controversial in Europe, as well as in Asia where, especially in south-east Asian countries, the word is in comparatively widespread usage."

Back to the Indians.
One of my Wolf Creek friends tells me that "Native American" is something that some white limousine-liberals came up with.

"Indian" obviously comes from the mistaken arrival destination of Christopher Columbus. Still, they say that's how they they have always been identified (since we got here) "Bureau of Indian Affairs" (may it's name live in infamy) and that's just how it is.


whatever
:shrug:

[Blue Gardener]

36. Could be

But since there are many people at my workplace that are from Southeast Asia, I figure it's best to try not to offend anyone. Maybe it's just me, but it seems some other people I work with that use the term 'Orientals" don't always mean it in a good way.

[Kraklen]

45. To me it's not so much politically incorrect...

as geographically incorrect.

[Solon]

72. True, best friend in high school was Indian(nationality)

whereas my first girlfriend was Native American, avoids confusion to say the least.

[Redstone]

76. I'm an American Indian. And I don't like "Native American." But if any

other American Indians don't mind the term, that's OK.

It's an individual preference, and not up to me to judge.

Redstone

[ihaveaquestion]

17. My Mother-in-law (ex) still uses this

She's about 70 and from central Alabama originally. She's about as tolerant and accepting as a white woman from there ever gets, I guess. To her credit, she didn't have a fit when she found out my daughter went to her prom with a black kid (one of the few in central NY).

[dback]

55. My grandmother is 93, and still uses "colored."

It's just her generation. She introduced my 11-year-partner as my "friend" when we met one of her friends at the assisted living complex. You just go with it.

[MountainLaurel]

10. A friend on a flight to Nashville

Had a seatmate a couple months ago who asked the flight attendant if he could be moved away from that Negro (speaking of her).

[bucknaked]

11. A 40-something lady I worked with 7 years ago used the term...

Think it was the only time I ever heard it used.

Don't know if means anything, but she was fresh out of North Dakota.

[Beware the Beast Man]

12. Unless it's in refernce to a past baseball league or college fund, no.

[MrSlayer]

13. Negro would be an upgrade from what I hear people say.

The n-word still gets thrown around quite liberally here. But to answer your question, no. The only time I hear it anymore is when people are quoting "Pulp Fiction".

[bluestateguy]

15. You from Philly?

In watching my favorite TV show, American Dreams, it is revealing how much racism there apparently was in 1960's Philadelphia, especially from Italian, Irish and Polish immigrants.

[MrSlayer]

19. Yes I am.

And it's still like that.

[arwalden]

18. My Grandmother.

Age 98.

[trof]

20. I grew up in Birmingham in the bad ol' days.

It's been interesting to see the evolution of pejorative and acceptable or preferred terms for peoples of African descent.

By the way, does anyone know if there are indigenous black skinned people from anywhere on the planet other than Africa? I know I've seen some very dark skinned east Indians, but I'm no anthropologist.

In the 40s and 50s nigger wasn't necessarily a pejorative in Alabama, however it was mainly used by the less educated.
The more "refined"' said "Negro" or if that seem too difficult "Nigra". Hey, it's hot down here and we have lazy tongues.

I grew up pretty much middle-middle, but we had some wealthy friends. They had a maid, and a cook, and a chauffer/handyman/gardener. All black. They referred to them as "the darkies" in a sort of tongue-in-cheek, Stephen Foster, ol' Massa-on-the-plantation, banjos-ringin' way. At the time (my pre-teens) I thought it was cute or clever. I never heard them use the term in their servants' presence.

My mother said "Negro" and I never heard "nigger" pass her lips. She was my teacher and example in most things mannerly, so I did the same. Mostly.

During this same time, to call a man "black" was fightin' words. Maybe because the term usually preceded the words "bastard" or "son-of-a-bitch".

In the late 50s and the 60s, as the civil rights movement took hold and began to grow the phrase "I'm BLACK and I'm PROUD!" began to be heard, especially from the more militant blacks. In my opinion they were successful in turning a pejorative into a preferred term of reference. I wish we could do the same with "liberal".

We then went to Afro-American for a while. Kind of coincided with the Afro hairstyles, if I remember correctly.
Then African-American.
Then black.
Now it seems to be a toss up between black and African-American.
Seven syllables seems a bit unwieldy to me, but I'll sure call you whatever you want to be called.

Now that I think about it, why would I need to call you anything? Why should I have to do that?

We've talked about it and my black friends prefer "black".
Or should that be capitalized?

Then there's this:
I've come to know some members of two local Indian tribes.
"OK, are you guys Indians or Native Americans?"
"We're Indians."
I guess that's pretty plain.
on edit: To answer your question, no.

[Withywindle]

24. Australia...

By the way, does anyone know if there are indigenous black skinned people from anywhere on the planet other than Africa?


I had a co-worker once who was of Australian Aboriginal descent but grew up mostly in England. She was referred to as "African-American" constantly because that's what most people here assumed she was and that was the polite term--and she isn't either, at all.

[trof]

26. Of Course! duh

<smacks forehead>

[no name no slogan]

21. Ross Perot famously used "you people" in 1992

during a speech to the national NAACP convention.

needless to say, i don't think he got a whole lot of vote from "those people" that year :eyes:

[Maestro]

23. The only grandmother I have left unfortunately.

She was born in Mississippi to completely racist family.

[Withywindle]

25. Yup...

My grandmother, age 85, and my father, age 61. Also, "colored." Neither means anything bad by it, but I still cringe a bit.

[Maddy McCall]

29. Only old folks.

It's funny to me. They are trying to be politically correct by not saying "nigger."

Like I said, just old folks, 70 and older.

[trof]

32. Granny called Italians "dagos".

BTW, I can't find where that term comes from.
Any help?

Anyway...my grandfather had two Italian friends. They were brothers who ran a restaurant in B'ham. He met them when they were all air raid patrol wardens during the Big One. After the war this group of men formed the Ex-Pat (Ex-Patrol) Club and met for lunch once a month for years.

Granny always referred to them as "Marvin's dago friends."
I don't think she meant anything derogatory, but it's always puzzled me.

Oh yeah, granny said "colored".
That was considered to be genteel (not to be confused with "gentile" which is a whole 'nuther thing) in the day.

[ZombieNixon]

47. "Dago" comes from "Diego"

It was originally a British epithet for people of Spanish or Portuguese descent, which was eventually extended to Italians and even Greeks.

[trof]

66. Hunh. Thanks. Diego in what context?

Now that you mention it, there was also a Greek guy who had a restaurant (Jeb's Seafood. I knew him as Mr. Jebeleze ) who was also (according to granny) one of grandpa's "dago" friends.

I was first introduced to horseradish and Tabasco at a very tender age by grandpa at Jeb's.

[ZombieNixon]

71. "Diego," meaning "James," the most common male given name

in England at the time. It was just used as an identifier when the Brits were too lazy to learn people's actual names. The same sort of context (originally) as "average Joe" takes here. Not all average people are called "Joe" are they?

[roguevalley]

74. when people came through ellis island, they were marked with

chalk if they needed medical attention and the initials that were written were WOP. That somehow attached itself to Italians. I don't know why but it did. I forgot what WOP meant but that's where it came from. Could mean 'wait on physician' or 'physical'.

[RummyTheDummy]

82. I was always told that WOP

Mean Without Papers. But who knows.

[Book Lover]

85. That's exactly what it means

Without Papers

[leftofthedial]

33. would you believe "nigras"?

Numerous people in Tennessee, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi.

[Capn Sunshine]

35. Every redneck out in the country cracker in Texas

That I ever had to deal with , particularly around Midland-Odessa, used that term. I haven't been there in about 10 years though, but it's hard to imagine that anything's changed there.

[applegrove]

37. Never have and hopefully never will. I think I've heard it once and really

didn't know the person.

[Montauk6]

38. The regulars at the now-defunct NewBlackCity.com

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Misunderestimator]

40. Why on earth would that make you laugh?

That's horrible.

[TammyLittlenut]

41. IN A BLAZING SADDLES TYPE OF WAY...

meaning laughing that someone would actually say something like that in 2005.

[Misunderestimator]

43. Sorry... I just don't quite get the humor on any level.

[TammyLittlenut]

46. Hence the humorless liberal stereotype.

I take it you didn't/wouldn't find Blazing Saddles funny.

People who say things like that are funny. They just ARE.

[Misunderestimator]

52. Oh, no Blazing Saddles was hilarious.

Someone in real life calling black children "niglets"... nope... can't see the funny in that.

[TammyLittlenut]

54. It's all about laughing AT them, not WITH them...

I am sure he never does it to their faces, so it's not as if they are being directly hurt by it. He's just prominently displaying how stupid he is...and it's funny.

[Kraklen]

56. What's the guy do for a living?

[Misunderestimator]

59. Ah, so it's ok to use derogatory and racist words as long as the person

you are using them against is not within earshot. Mmmmmm.... m'k.

IT'S NOT FUNNY.

[Kraklen]

53. Having a sense of humor doesn't mean laughing at anything.

It means having sense to know what's funny and what ain't. The word "nigger" in exceptionally few contexts, such as certain Mel Brooks movies, can be acceptable. Just some racist saying "niglet" ain't.

[TammyLittlenut]

58. That isn't racism.

It's namecalling. Racism is an institution.

[Misunderestimator]

60. Saying "niglet" is not racist?!?

:wtf:

[Kraklen]

63. And is this person part of the institution?

Or is he some hermit that lives out in the middle of nowhere?

[progmom]

65. sorry - that doesn't make it funny

:shrug:

[tibbir]

42. My mother refers to black people as "coloreds."

And my father-in-law began referring to black people by a much worse name after he moved to Georgia.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

61. my grandmother said "coloreds" as well.

"Colored" was what she said she was told was politically correct when she was younger. She was from Pennsylvania and that's how she was raised. She had no ill will toward black people or anything like that, that's just how she was taught. :shrug:

[youthere]

44. Yes, my mother.

She also uses "the coloreds".

[MrScorpio]

48. I heard an extremely young Second Looey from Utah say it once

Just last year.

Not too many black people (Except military) are living in Utah. That's what she said when I asked her. It was strange for her to see a place with a lot of different races, like Virginia.

I mentioned to her that "negro" is not an appropriate word around these parts. "Black" or "African-American" are just fine.

I just chalked it up to her being raised around too many white people and left it at that.

[Bucky]

49. I hear it used ironically a lot, sort of like an updated "Uncle Tom"

Oh, and UNCF is still quite popular.

[WCGreen]

50. Why some of my best friends are Negroes

[Schema Thing]

51. I usually only use it in conjunction with "articulate"

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

57. No, but I've heard plenty of people in South Carolina still use ni**ers

As in, "Oh naw miss, you're not from around here are ya? You don't wanna go to that restaurant... too many ni**ers in that place!"

[XemaSab]

67. I heard a lot of that down there

"I had a ni**er come clean my house but he don't come roun no more."

Like, duh, I wonder why???

My grandma says "colored" and she's 70, raised in Minnesota, non-racist.

[SeanQuinn]

62. A 12-year-old friend of mine called them "colored".

Old habits die hard, and it's sad that that habit was passed down. Shame.

[JohnKleeb]

77. Youre kidding me

I dont know anyone who does personally.

[fortyfeetunder]

68. older folks

I have relatives in their 70's and 80's who use the term negro. And if the person is of questionable character then the other "n" word is used, which makes me really uncomfortable because I don't use it....

[chaska]

69. Ha! In my family, I should be so lucky.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

70. My mother

She's 93 years old, so that might be an excuse, except that she's always been an idiot.

[elshiva]

75. Grandmother, 93 "negroes" or "colored"

[demnan]

78. My cousin still did that about seven years ago

and I really took her to task for it. She was raised in a really conservative environment and was a very sheltered person. I finally got her to refer to the gentlemen who did yard work for her as Mr ___


She was not a racist person and I must say that my cousin was raised and living in a really strange protected environment. You get into these small southern towns and see these women that were protected for so long.

Jeesh!

[Redstone]

79. I still think that "people of color" is a gracious and dignified term.

But since I'm not a person of color (except reddish-brown, kinda like a slightly faded and aged brick), it's not for me to judge, only for them.

PS: If any people of color on DU have a reason why this is not a good term to use, please, do not hesitate to offer me an education. You guys are the ones who should decide how you want to be described, not anyone else, so of course I'll defer to your preference.

Redstone

[Ladyhawk]

80. My grandmother still calls them the "n" word.

[ScreamingMeemie]

81. My grandmother uses "colored". I know it's how she grew up, but it

still rubs me the wrong way. We're all "colored".

[Catherine Vincent]

83. I think it should go back to "colored".

(1) that is what's on my bc, so I won't feel so bad.
and
(2) we're a lot of different hues and shades anyways, but then so are other races

[SouthernDem2004]

84. I hear "blacks" alot. Such as "Those blacks are on the corner again."

Slur if I ever heard one...

[graywarrior]

86. I have a friend in Maine who uses "negro's and negra's"

and here in Florida I heard an elderly lady use the term "coloreds" at a meeting about a week ago. That floored me.

[LoZoccolo]

87. Can I ask a historical question?

Historical meaning, I'm not mocking the fact that certain terms are unacceptable, I will generally call people what they want to be called and am generally more PC than most people, I just want to know the history. Why is negro considered a bad word, when it just means "black" in a bunch of romance languages? Please don't get on my case; I only want to know the history.