Is this racist and what to do?

[fedup33]

I was in a group today and at coffee time, somebody mentioned 3 or 4 times that the term " black coffee" is unacceptable. Apparently on arrival in the US a relative had told them this, virtually as soon as they landed.

This sounds like the sort of guff surrounding " Ba ba black sheep". Its nonsense and it's racist. Sneeky racist bit still racist.

Good job teachers don't use a blackboard anymore.

Of course " black" is a word just like " orange" is a word.
I just felt uncomfortable with it.

I do not believe the first words of warning to somebody who has landed in the US would be " Just to give you a heads up don't order black coffee"

Ffs it's a colour. Black shoes, black trousers, black eyeliner, black car, black coffee etc. If someone believes the world is talking about them they have a massive ego problem.

an interesting observation.

It's not racist. I've spent many years in the States.

You just wouldn't order a black or white coffee...

It's coffee no cream
Or coffee with cream

I say cream because it's usually half and half, which is used over that way for hot drinks usually. If you want milk, you specify milk, and the type.

Like us, they have a language/vocabulary regarding beverages.

Hist like in some states its hotcakes instead of pancakes. Hth

*just

I was told at a conference that it was unacceptable to ask for a black coffee, but should ask for a coffee without milk.
When I asked why, the coffee lady told me it could offend black people!
The black lady behind me in the queue said that asking for a black coffee did not offend her, and assumed that if she asked for a white coffee, that the coffee lady wouldn't be offended.

Seriously? Sounds most unlikely.

Isn't it terribly infra dig to ask for "cafe blanc" or "cafe noir" in French? Might have come out of that with the racist smear of "they won't let us be racist anymore" put on top.

True...it was a out 30+ years ago

I'm white and I'm not offended by that. I wonder who is?

Who knows, maybe the same number of people offended by black coffee.

Even less likely, then.

Maybe it's in use as a metaphor (similar to snow, ebony or whatever) but struggle to see how that could be offensive on its own. Coffee isn't a negative thing is it?

Good tune anyway.

So if black coffee is a racist term, presumably that holds true for referring to someone as black?

My oldest friend is black, if I was in a situation where I had to describe her, up until now, I'd refer to her as black. Same with my family whose antecedents came from the West Indies.

Guess I'd better check next time we meet.

I remember years ago being told you couldn't call rubbish bags black bags, it was supposed to be refuse sacks.

It sounds ridiculous, of course it's not racist. Was this person white or a person of colour?

If I remember rightly, that is about how long ago this sort of thing first hit the headlines as a 'thing'.
How much of it was real, (though I did know people working in settings where drinks machines were re-labelled as a result of it) and how much of it was just rumour mongering, I don't know, but it would seem that common sense was silently restored because it became very much a non- issue again, though it has taken this thread to make me realize that.

I don't doubt that there is still a lot of racism and that it still needs to be challenged, but trying to change everyday language that has no roots in genuine racism is a stupid way of going about it.

'fraid not!

Around the time of 'Ba ba black sheep' there was some nonsense about black/white coffee.

What to do? Jesus fucking Christ. No wonder this world is like it is.🙄

carry on saying black coffee/white coffee.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the term black coffee. However, if you feel this was aimed at you to make you feel uncomfortable then how it was used by the person saying it could be racist.

I got picked up on this about 20 years ago at a local authority. I was asked to call it coffee without milk.
I thought it was bollocks then and it's bollocks now.
It's not racist at all.
It's not a pen without milk or a suit without milk or eyeliner without milk.
Utter tripe.

I do sometimes wonder if the people who come up with this nonsense are actually racists themselves trying to create an intolerance for black people by portraying them as over sensitive upstarts with nothing better to worry about. It undermines real incidents of racism. It also creates a genuine sense of uneasiness between races, if you are constantly monitoring your language for fear of insulting someone inadvertently it's just easier not talk to them isn't it. Let them hang out with each other, isn't life easier when its them and us separately. It's a win win for the white supremist.

In my experience, it tends to be virtue-signalling white people who come up with this rubbish.

My husband is black and he'd tell anyone who said ordering a black coffee is racist that they are an idiot.

Of course at a social when somebody is getting the coffees in, saying " White 2 sugars" or " Black no sugar" isn't racist.

But making a big issue of it in a huffy way could be.