Is it rude to refer to President-elect Obama as a black?

[Parm]

Been watching some of the Obama coverage on TV lately and noticed that a lot of time he's referred to as black. It's most likely just me, but I started to wonder if it's appropriate?

Black, in my opinion, is along the same lines of nigga. It isn't a nice way to refer to someone as it focusses solely on colour - and that's the primary cause of racism.

Shouldn't he be referred to as African-American? I keep hearing "first black President" but it feels like it comes across as "bloody hell, he's black, how is he President?". On the other hand, "first African-American President" sounds like a proper accomplishment.

As I say, it's just opinion, but I personally avoid referring to non-white people as blacks, coloureds, or something along those lines.

What do you think? It could be a touchy subject so let's not go overboard, please, but it'd be interesting to hear if it's just me who finds the reference of "black" to be rude. Would be particularly interesting to hear the opinion of someone who is African-American.

*edit* Immediately after posting, I looked at it another way - what about all the people that are called white? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that, and I don't find it rude personally. That would suggest there's nothing wrong with the term black, but it still doesn't sound right.

[Mike Fishcake]

"Black" is an acceptable description IMHO. "Coloured" isn't. I really don't know why though :-S

I know that you're not doing this Parm, but a lot of people have been saying "why's it special that he's black/mixed race, you wouldn't get that if he was white blah blah blah".

In an ideal world, it wouldn't be a big deal, it wouldn't matter. In an ideal world there wouldn't be any racism and it wouldn't have been particularly noticeable. However, it's not an ideal world, and whether you like it or not, it is a big deal because it's never happened before. Racism is still a massive problem, especially with institutions such as the KKK and it's blinkered to claim that everyone in the world sees every race as equal. It is a hugely important event. Obviously not on the same level as Nelson Mandela of course.

Personally I'm just glad that the US doesn't have a Republican president any more.

Although, saying that - I was pleased when Labour got in in 1997, and look how that ended up. He's still got plenty of time to bugger it all up :-P

[Mossy]

If you carry on Parm they will be changing it to "The first US President with Darker Skin" for political correctness nonsense..

[jimborae]

*edit* Immediately after posting, I looked at it another way - what about all the people that are called white? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that, and I don't find it rude personally. That would suggest there's nothing wrong with the term black, but it still doesn't sound right.

Exactly, glad you found a new perspective from which to look at it.

[samcross]

Its amazing that political correctness has affected us so much that we can no longer say someone is "black" without feeling racist.

[IBM]

If you carry on Parm they will be changing it to "The first US President with Darker Skin" for political correctness nonsense..

Darker than what exactly?

[Mossy]

Darker than what exactly?

white but I see what you are saying....

[yamangman]

In short no it's not. But I do hate the way people keep suggesting that his victory is in some way finally a victory for black civil rights and for the idiom 'my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character' when it appears that vast numbers of people voted for or against him because he was black, not in spite of it.

[Stewart]

Well from now on I will perform a citizens arrest on anyone who calls me white.

It's North European Anglo-Saxon Caucasian or it's a racist act of race warfare.

I'm sorry, but there is a time for common sense, and there is a time for utter PC nonsense, and as I'm sure we can all agree (I know Parm does) this is the time for PC nonsense.

[midzt]

"Black" is an acceptable description IMHO. "Coloured" isn't. I really don't know why though :-S

When I was born, I was black.
When I grow up, I'm black.
When I'm ill, I'm black.
When I go out in the sun, I'm black.
When I'm cold, I'm black.
When I die, I'm black.

But you -

When you're born, you're pink.
When you grow up, you're white.
When you're ill, you're green.
When you go out in the sun, you go red.
When you're cold, you go blue.
When you die, you're purple.

And you have the nerve to call me coloured?

Quote from Malcolm X that always stuck with me when one of my teachers told me - always found it fairly amusing.

[staffsMike]

Quote from Malcolm X that always stuck with me when one of my teachers told me - always found it fairly amusing.

I always liked that. Black is fine to me, I'm happy for people to call me white so why not? Coloured sounds like you are saying white is right to me and I never liked that.

The difficulty for me is the other races. I mean, you might well call my gf Indian (even she does sometimes) but she's not.. lol
I tend to say asian, but is that east, west.. what? lol

[Stewart]

Which is where those things called countries come in handy.

See, that way Obama is American, I am English, your girlfriend is, say, Chinese, Indian, or whatever.

No need for white, black, yellow, brown, etc. No need to mention race.

Not perfect for everyone, but country of birth does fine for most folks.

[staffsMike]

Exactly, I can't very well going round calling her yellow.. that's terrible. So why am I fine calling myself white and Obama black.

But if I say I'm English, that doesn't account for ethnicity which, quite frankly means nothing to me but it does to a lot of people.

Then you have the problem of, if white people call themselves English but black people, asian people (doing it again) etc.. don't, then does that say to be English is to be white? *blows brain out*

[PeterStoba]

Isn't his mother white anyway, he's not what i'd call a black man, it makes no odds to me anyway

[Stewart]

Obama and Mother. That is one white woman.

She seems to get overlooked in the whole thing though, and Obama simply becomes black... strange.

[Fraz]

Black people want to be called black people. It's not hard to call people what they want to be called. And it's pretty rude to call them by whatever name some other ethnic group has made up. Kinda like if you were called Steve and I always referred to you as rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish. Well, not quite.

Coloured is pretty derogatory. It's lumping all non-white people into a single category. I'd imagine I'd find it pretty offensive to be called "not-white" if I err... wasn't white.