What the hell is wrong with my econ prof?

[Walter]

My econ prof today was using the word "negro" continually and his usage was unwarranted. I didn't think there was ANY REASON for him to use such an offensive word. Actually, there was a female African-American student right next to me, and I felt discomforted.

BTW, my econ prof is some 60 year old white male.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

My econ prof today was using the word "negro" continually and his usage was unwarranted. I didn't think there was ANY REASON for him to use such an offensive word. Actually, there was a female African-American student right next to me, and I felt discomforted.

BTW, my econ prof is some 60 year old white male.

Why? Negro is not an offensive term (i.e. United Negro Colored Fund).

 

[InterestedParty]

Admin...

Don't be so quick to judge the gentleman. It could be a generational thing and there was a point in time where using the word negro to describe a black person was the "nice" way to refer to them and they would have appreciated it. Do you want to know when that changed? It changed when the black power movements of the 60's started to rise. It really was not viewed as an insult until then.

My grandmother who didn't have a mean spirited or prejudiced bone in her body use to do something similiar when she wanted to draw attention to a discussion involving a black person. She would call them "darkies". It wasn't out of disrespect, it was what she was programmed to call them from her youth. I almost hyperventilated the first time I heard her do this but I knew she meant no disrespect. And, because she was raised in a time when the *worst* word was used on a regular basis I know that it was not taught to her out of prejudice or bias.

We all have our little descriptive phrases we use that have been drilled into us over the years.

I am not saying that your Professor using that word would not have caused me to take notice of it but it is important to consider intent behind such words.

Pssst... USMC.. it is known as the United Negro College Fund. Easy mistake to make sir.

Another one is the NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Call a black person "colored" today. Watch what happens.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Admin...

Don't be so quick to judge the gentleman. It could be a generational thing and there was a point in time where using the word negro to describe a black person was the "nice" way to refer to them and they would have appreciated it. Do you want to know when that changed? It changed when the black power movements of the 60's started to rise. It really was not viewed as an insult until then.

My grandmother who didn't have a mean spirited or prejudiced bone in her body use to do something similiar when she wanted to draw attention to a discussion involving a black person. She would call them "darkies". It wasn't out of disrespect, it was what she was programmed to call them from her youth. I almost hyperventilated the first time I heard her do this but I knew she meant no disrespect. And, because she was raised in a time when the *worst* word was used on a regular basis I know that it was not taught to her out of prejudice or bias.

We all have our little descriptive phrases we use that have been drilled into us over the years.

I am not saying that your Professor using that word would not have caused me to take notice of it but it is important to consider intent behind such words.

Pssst... USMC.. it is known as the United Negro College Fund. Easy mistake to make sir.

Another one is the NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Call a black person "colored" today. Watch what happens.

Nice post. And regarding the United Negro College Fund -- you know what I meant.

 

[InterestedParty]

USMC...

I knew exactly what you meant and I also know that it was more of a whoops than anything else. I just wanted to clarify it mainly because of the climate here.

 

[Walter]

Yeah, I have to say that I was quick to criticize my professor.

I guess I was just shocked since I grew up in an area where such words were not commonly used.

 

[Nammy]

Why? Negro is not an offensive term (i.e. United Negro Colored Fund).

I thought negro was an offensive term.

"some people consider it either archaic or a slur (see also n****r) except for its inclusion in the names of some organizations founded when the term had currency, e.g. the United Negro College Fund),"

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

 

[InterestedParty]

The fact that you see it used in names like the United Negro College Fund should tell you that it was anything but offensive at one time. It went from being an appreciated way to refer to a black person to a "dirty word" almost over night. It was the radical members of the black power movement in the 1960's that termed it offensive. And to be perfectly honest with you, it wouldn't have mattered what you called that sect of people (the radical ones) back then. Anything you said was offensive to them. They took their cause to an extreme.

And no, I am not being disrespectful. You had to live during that period of time to know what I am talking about.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

The fact that you see it used in names like the United Negro College Fund should tell you that it was anything but offensive at one time. It went from being an appreciated way to refer to a black person to a "dirty word" almost over night. It was the radical members of the black power movement in the 1960's that termed it offensive. And to be perfectly honest with you, it wouldn't have mattered what you called that sect of people (the radical ones) back then. Anything you said was offensive to them. They took their cause to an extreme.

And no, I am not being disrespectful. You had to live during that period of time to know what I am talking about.

I certainly wasn't around back then, but I'm willing to take your word on it.

 

[Julsa]

Many people use it around here. But the population of blacks in my town (10,000 people or so) is all of maybe 10? And most of them are older. I think that has a lot to do with it.

 

[saggyjones]

USMC who are you to decide what offends people? I'm almost positive you aren't black, so why do you get to decide what offends black people? If the word "negro" offends them, then so be it. You can still choose whether or not to say it. I could say, "f**k isn't an offensive word. Why are you offended by it?"

I'm not criticizing the professor, because he's probably not a racist person. I'm just asking why you think you can choose what words are offensive to other people.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

USMC who are you to decide what offends people? I'm almost positive you aren't black, so why do you get to decide what offends black people? If the word "negro" offends them, then so be it. You can still choose whether or not to say it. I could say, "f**k isn't an offensive word. Why are you offended by it?"

I'm not criticizing the professor, because he's probably not a racist person. I'm just asking why you think you can choose what words are offensive to other people.

You're right. I'm not black, but I have plenty of friends who are. I grew up playing basketball on a predominately black team. Some of my closest friends in the Corps are black. Saggy, I obviously can't prove it, but I would venture to say that I have more black friends than you, a liberal.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. If you want to live in a hyper-sensitive word where we have to worry that every descriptive word might "offend" someone, I'm not going to stop you.

 

[Castle]

Oh crap the PC police are at it again.
Yes yes I know that:
- swamps are now wetlands
- jungles are now rain forests
- stewards and stewardesses are now flight attendants.
- terrorists are freedom fighters.......gag
- any below average rating requires a (fill in the blank) challenged title
- etc., etc

-Castle

 

[JavaBlack]

It's likely just generational. My grandfather's not racist, but it's always kind of weird to hear him describing a guy he met as a "colored fellow."

 

[jb_1430]

I'm not criticizing the professor, because he's probably not a racist person. I'm just asking why you think you can choose what words are offensive to other people.

Arent you simply going with Admin choice of what is offensive? He was probably more offended by the comment than the "african American" in the classroom.
Isnt it kind of presumtuous to presume that someone with dark skin identifies themselves with the continent their ancestors came from maybe 15 generations ago?