To have called this lad "black"...

[ExitStageLeft]

Genuinely unsure about this and need the bluntness of AIBU.

I work at a college, was working with a group of young men and one wandered off. I poked my head back into the office and asked if anyone had seen the missing student. My colleague asked what he looked like and I said:

"He's wearing a denim jacket, got dark rimmed glasses on â?? black lad."

My colleague was shocked I used his colour to describe him.

Totally prepared to be told AIBU...not in the least bit racist and will be quite embarrassed if I've got it to wrong....

GO!

What a crock of shit newbieman. Diversity is about respecting people and their differences, not being too scared to describe somebody in a factual and truthful way.

It could only be wrong to describe someone as black if there was something wrong with being black. Which is obviously not true.

I work in HR for some of the UK's most respected employers btw :)

Hakluyt, maybe - they're 17 year old lads, they tend to dress the same...only one was black though.

Oh, god - all the "ooh, you can't say anything any more" brigade are out!

Black is fine.

But I was certainly brought up not to use physical characteristics to describe people if at all possible. So, if they were all in uniform and I didn't know what desk he was sitting at, I might say that he was black. Or red headed. Or something. But if I could describe by clothes or location then I would do that. Not for PC reasons- but because it's simply better manners.

Can I suggest you re-acquaint yourself with some diversity training pdq newbie....

At work once a colleague was talking about someone I didn't know, I said "who is X".

The colleague then described X as short, dark haired, wears glasses, works in X corridor, works with Y etc etc.

I was none the wiser then finally the colleague said "shes the black woman". The only black woman in my work, would have been much easier to describe her as "the black woman" rather than trying really hard to avoid saying the word black.

If I were the only white person in a group I'd expect to be described as "the white woman" just as if I were the only female in a group of males I'd expect to be described as "the woman".

I write statements everyday for my work. One question we have to ask is "can you describe the other person?" Phrases alluding to skin colour (black, white, light brown, dark brown), ethnicity, height, build, hair colour, any distinguishing features are all acceptable.

We can write derogatory terms where people use them themselves, as it shows a lack of credibility in court, but using simple describing words is perfectly fine. I always smile when people use everything other words possible without referring to skin colour, or ethnicity for fear of being accused of racism, but its a sad indictment of our current state of society that people are so fearful of using normal description of people.

Am I the only one who thinks "a person of colour" sounds more derogatory than calling someone "black?" I feel uncomfortable saying it- but I guess that it's the stupid people in society that has made me feel like that.

Yanbu and it isn't un-pc to describe a black person as black. (Although I'm sure some people may disagree).

It's only bad manners if the term used is deemed to be offensive. Personal is ok, but not something that might upset someone if you drew attention to it.

Fat - not ok to comment on because it's not seen to be "acceptable" in our culture and it's not polite to draw attention. It's also fairly subjective so open to interpretation and offense.

Red head - fine and inoffensive. Factual

Big nose - not ok because it is factual yet also personal. Not really seen as socially desirable characteristic I should know, I have one but I don't want someone pointing it out thanks

Glasses - ok, factual and socially acceptable.

Black - ok, factual and socially acceptable.

Indian - ok (unless the person is not Indian), factual and socially acceptable to be Indian.

Tanned - ok if the person is tanned. Not ok if the person is non-white and therefore not tanned but is brown or black.

Tall - fine and sociall acceptable.

Blonde - fine and socially acceptable.

Curly hair - fine and socially acceptable.

Afro - fine (unless it's not an Afro) and socially acceptable.

Ugly - not ok, it's subjective and personal.

Yes to what MrsDevere said about calling someone black not being an insult.

Pmsl moving Far too much time on your hands.

most of the p.c business should be shoved where the sun doesn't shine. of course racism and sexist remarks aren't on at any time but some common sense should prevail.

It took me 3 minutes to write that Calleigh. How long have you spent on MN today?

"most of the p.c business should be shoved where the sun doesn't shine"

Ooooh, go on. Tell us. Which bits?

Political correctness in the main is a good thing. Being scared to call a black person black isn't political correctness though.

What a lot of crap newbie man. I've been on diversity training and as I'm with the police skin colour is used as an identifier for suspects all the time. oh and before anyone accuses police of racism etc we broadcast that the person is 'white Scottish ' more than anything

The problem, in my view, is not PC, but rather the confusion that some people seem eager to create around questions that really aren't that confusing.

I didn't say it is forbidden to use the term black! I was making the point that you shouldn't describe someone by their colour, after all, how did the op know the person she was describing as black actually identified themselves as black??

In all the LA diversity training I've had I have never been told it is acceptable to describe someone by their colour in the situation the op described or similar. ie, "the black lad over there"

I thought the police use ic codes?

Actually, funnily enough Newbie, I did know he thought of himself as black, I had his college application - it asks for ethnicity. That was one of my counter arguments to my colleague.

Absolutely agree with MrsD.

Plus, interestingly:

'Black' used as an adjective = absolutely fine
'Black' used as a noun = massively racist

newbie, the point is not to mention skin colour gratuitously, when it has no bearing on the topic under discussion. If you're trying to pick someone out in a crowd, then it's fine to describe what someone looks like.

I thought the police use if codes?