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Original poster

To think this is racist?

52 replies

CrohnicallyAspie · 12/10/2015 14:58

At work today, a new member of staff asked who X was. Someone else said 'she works with Y, in that office, black curly hair...'

New member of staff still didn't know so I pointed out 'she's black' (she's the only black member of staff!)

Is it racist to be skirting round describing her as black, as the other staff did?

OP posts:
Seriouslyffs · 12/10/2015 14:59

I don't think so, no.

LariyahSpen · 12/10/2015 15:01

Hmmmmm I think it's personal but I think you could cause offends to the person by using that as a way to describe them but I can see why you would.

Definitely better than saying 'coloured' I find that totally ignorant & incorrect

Did the member of staff seem offended?

LariyahSpen · 12/10/2015 15:02

Offense **

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 12/10/2015 15:03

I didn't think it was. Like saying the red head, or the tall one, just a definition of fact.

TheHouseOnTheLane · 12/10/2015 15:04

It's not racist of course not...avoiding saying black is silly...it's naive but not racist.

If the woman had been the only white woman, then you'd say "The white woman in X office."

ThenLaterWhenItGotDark · 12/10/2015 15:06

It's because people are still scared of being deemed to be racist by calling a black woman, black.

It's like some uber-political-correctness. Like saying "I genuinely don't notice the colour of someone's skin". Of course you do, it might not make any difference to how you get on with that person, but to deny even noticing is just disingenuous at best.

CanadianJohn · 12/10/2015 15:09

I have a friend who was "written up" at work for a racist remark... he pointed out a co-worker as "the Asian guy" (didn't know his name)... what was he supposed to say, the "guy with Asian features", or something.

morecoffeethanhuman · 12/10/2015 15:09

No its a description - I wouldn't skirt around to be honest. In my last job my desk was in a pod with 3other medium build, dark haired women - much easy and quicker when one of us were needed to say, "you want the welsh/scottish/Indian/black lady"

Kewcumber · 12/10/2015 15:11

Bending over rather too far backwards to avoid being racist is you think racist? Confused I'm not sure I've got that right.

If so then no don't be silly, I don;t think you understand what racism means! Its a bit laboured and not a very efficient way of describing someone but it's a bit like someone trying to describe me and saying "the tall woman with the brown hair, kind of bob ummm..." whilst trying to skirt around the fact that I'm the only fat woman there.

People are perfectly entitled to describe someone wihtout referencing their skin colour if they want to. The fact that it can get a bit convoluted doesn;t make it racist.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 12/10/2015 15:13

I wouldn't say it's racist but I can understand the person being worried about somehow causing offence and choosing to skirt around the issue entirely. It's a sad state of affairs but *CanadianJohns' reply really proves the point doesn't it.

helenahandbag · 12/10/2015 15:14

Of course not. Just a couple of weeks ago I had been chatting to a girl from a different department and I mentioned to my colleague "Oh, [name] was saying - you know, the really pretty black girl from department X?"

My colleague didn't recognise her name and there are lots of pretty, short, slim young women with dark hair in that team, but only one black person. It's not racist, it's just fact. Just like my boss is "the blonde one" and I'm "the one with glasses". There's a difference between saying "the one with glasses" and "the specky one".

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 12/10/2015 15:16

No itd not racist. Small wonder we live in a society where people are petrified to open their mouths. Why is it that people look for racial elements in every thing that is said.

Original poster
CrohnicallyAspie · 12/10/2015 15:17

kewcumber that's it, bending over too far backwards to avoid saying it, is kind of racist I think, because you're still taking note of her race, if it genuinely didn't bother you then you'd be more likely to use it as a description, like red hair or with glasses.

OP posts:
ItchyArmpits · 12/10/2015 15:28

I guess your coworker felt that if she said "the black woman" it would sound like the colour of her skin was the only thing she knew about her.

I am not sure how describing where and who someone works with is more racist than describing the colour of their skin.

Did someone have a go at you?

Tyrannosaurus · 12/10/2015 15:30

I don't think it was racist, more a fear of being racist. The end result is unfortunately still treating a person differently because of their race though.

OliviaM91 · 12/10/2015 15:36

I am the only black girl in my office. I called IT for a problem with my computer and told them where I sat, I then said 'I'm on the furthest pod and I'm the black girl in the red top'. My colleague's head shot up like a light and she sort of laughed awkwardly.

If a someone wanted to describe me and didn't mention that I was black, I would think it was a bit odd as that's a key feature of mine but not racist. Some people just aren't comfortable discussing race, it's not a problem.

NKFell · 12/10/2015 15:41

It's like the comedy sketch where the bloke is trying to describe someone else without mentioning it...

'The one with glasses'- 3 have glasses
'In the white shirt'- they all have a white shirt on
'The one who is about 6ft tall'- they're all about 6ft

I personally get more offended by tiptoeing than anything else.

Lurkedforever1 · 12/10/2015 15:42

I don't think so, assuming you're all in office type clothes and you used it same as you would 'blonde one' 'one in glasses etc'.

I overheard a parent trying to point out dd in a group once to a family member with them, they were saying something complimentary about her and didn't know I was even in earshot. Tall one wasn't applicable as there were older taller kids present, and all dressed similarly. Much skirting round of 'the one with the pony tail' 'dark haired' and other indistinguishable features and eventually elder relative said 'oh, the brown skinned girl'. Which wasn't offensive even if it had been said first because it truly was the most obvious thing in that situation.

NKFell · 12/10/2015 15:44

Oh and in a workplace of all white and a female majority, all in uniform...I'm OK being the black girl!

LeaveMyWingsBehindMe · 12/10/2015 15:46

Oh for goodness sake. You weren't racist, they weren't racist, just a bit unsure of whether it's okay to directly refer to someone's ethnicity, no-one here has been racist. Is it really that difficult to work this stuff out?

OP if people like you didn't go around trying to find fault and racism where none was implied then perhaps people like your colleague would feel more confident in just saying what they mean without fear of saying the wrong thing.

Original poster
CrohnicallyAspie · 12/10/2015 15:53

leave actually, sometimes it is difficult to work this stuff out. As my username implies, I have Asperger's Syndrome so while I usually know the textbook definition of something, the social nuances often pass me by.

And if my colleague had just said what she meant then I wouldn't have been offended, it's the fact that she was not mentioning it, even though its probably the easiest way of describing this colleague that made me wonder!

OP posts:
PHANTOMnamechanger · 12/10/2015 15:55

I agree it was just thinking on the hoof and not wanting to appear racist. Have been in the same position years ago - a group of adults trying to describe to a child who Mr X was ( ie which supply teacher). There were several exchanged glances between the adults and various attempts at 'the really tall one with glasses', 'the one who likes football' and then the child came out with 'OH! you mean the one with the bright yellow fleece!' yep, all that nervous,PC skirting around - and this guy was the only black face in the village! But none of the adults felt able to say it, and the child, it would seem, did not even notice the most striking/different feature either!

CanadianJohn · 12/10/2015 16:08

I was watching a boxing match on TV - one white boxer, one black. The fighters were wearing identical shorts. The commentators were falling over themselves trying to refer to the fighters without mentioning their skin colour - "Jones is on the left of your screen" kind of thing.

CanadianJohn · 12/10/2015 16:14

In this part of Canada, if there is any racial predudice, I don't see it. I was at an event yesterday, there were about 70 participants, and... let me think... there were about maybe 10 with black skin, about 15 of Asian descent, 15 south-Asian, and the rest with white skin.

All the parents were sitting in the parents' room, chatting and drinking coffee, all completely amicable, as far as I can see.

Kewcumber · 12/10/2015 16:54

is kind of racist I think

no it isn't, I think you're overthinking it, someone wanting to be polite and not use skin colour as a descriptor but be a bit cack-handed but not necessarily racist.

If have AS then you can understand that there are nuances to when the same thing can be either tactful or tactless depending on how/when/how loudly and in what circumstance its said. Not everyone is very good at social nuances and deciding not to use race to describe someone might their way of staying out of trouble!

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