The term 'coloured'

[Ticktock12]

So I'm a new member of a team and one of my colleagues described someone and said 'Oh the coloured lady'. I corrected her obviously stating its offensive.
Aibu or is this a term people still use?

And back to the OP - no YANBU.

I still cringe when I remember one of the first midwives after my dd was born in '08 as half-caste HOWEVER she clearly was from a country where this was acceptable terminology.

I politely corrected and it was the first and last time I heard that word.

Words are funny things. Some I just don't like the sound of, others I don't use because they have racist/offensive connotations. It's not just about how a word makes me feel, it's about its impact on other people. If some words are commonly issued in an offensive way, then even if your intention is not offensive, the word still sounds cruel so you shouldn't use it.

Language is very fluid though, as others have pointed, you have to be aware of the evolution of our language and adapt when things change. Queer is a good example of how an adjective went from derogatory to acceptable. Words can be reclaimed and/or fall in/out of fashion.

Re the term coloured, I wouldn't use it anyway because it currently is said with offensive connotations, but I personally hate the term. What I object to is not the notion that some people have a skin tone other than white, but that the only possible alternative skin tone is dark.

People always use coloured to mean black. People always use the term Asian to mean Indian. What about the rest of us with a different shade, eh? I often feel excluded from these ethnicity tick boxes and descriptions and feel invisible. Hate it.

I often feel excluded from these ethnicity tick boxes and descriptions and feel invisible. Hate it

I totally get what you are saying. Like you can only fit into certain boxes!

Back I know but where we are in Norfolk Jamaican usually works

I'd rather use something a person is happy with - most of the time there is an easy descriptor - a shirt colour or his height

But I was told a tale about a child on stage needing a microphone., the tech asked which child "The one standing up straight", the tech looks at all the children stood up really straight and asked for clarification "The one with the 'brand name' top" The tech looks at all the kids in school uniform poloshirts and asks again for help & the teacher looks confused/embarrassed - One of the kids says - He's the black one & the tech hands a mike to the only non-white child on the stage; how hard would it have been to say that first

People try so hard not to offend & end up making a mess of it

What TheHiphopopotamus said is my experience as well - I remember hearing the term coloured in the late 60's/early 70's, I'd have been told off (by my mum) if I'd referred to someone as black then. I remember discussing this with colleagues at work - my younger colleagues (say under 40 now) had certainly never heard (or thought) the term coloured used as an acceptable description.

A relative of mine who is in their 60's and from London would never use the word 'black' to describe someone as they reckon in their day, that it was the worst thing you could say and very offensive. They were taught that 'coloured' is the polite term.

Another one here who grew up with black as unacceptable and coloured as polite.

I would only use skin colour/ethnic origin or similar if it was the main distinguishing feature so yes I might say 'the white women in accounts' if she was the only white woman. Or I might refer to their accent and say 'the irish bloke' or the 'the tall one' or 'the lady in the wheelchair'. I frequently get referred to as the women with the long hair because if you look at me it's the thing that sticks out about me.

I would use the term Oriental for anyone from China/Japan etc but I gather than in Australia this is very much not acceptable.

I worked with someone who used this term (she was in her 50's) she was pulled up on it by our manager.

Unless they are American or pretty old it's not ok.

I mean it's not ok then either but if they aren't it's super bad.

Seems quite acceptable in America. Just reading a mainstream article about "hikers of color" by a woman who has set up a fb group of the same name.

But I rarely hear it used here and am well aware most people see it as offensive.

"I worked with someone who used this term (she was in her 50's) she was pulled up on it by our manager."

She clearly isn't a mumsnetter then.

Honestly, I didn't know that the term coloured was offensive until a few years ago. It just never came up in conversation. OH is 64 and used the term the other day and I had to tell him that it was offensive. He genuinely didn't know (because, clearly he doesn't use mumsnet either 0). And he is probably one of the least racist people I know. He has friends from all over the world of various different skin colour.

My black friend explained why she finds it offensive.

By saying people of colour or coloured you are saying that everyone but white people is lumped in to this big group.

Therefore insinuating that white people are better than everyone else.

I am another 40 something who grew up being told that it was massively offensive to call someone black - the polite and pc term was coloured (so I was told).
I like to think most people have enough common sense to pay more attention to the way a particular word is being used - I've probably messed up by saying coloured at some point in my life but as I would never have used it in a negative way I don't feel too bad about that.

Another one here who grew up with black as unacceptable and coloured as polite.

Who told you it was 'polite' other white people perchance?

I've never known a black person say 'please don't refer to me as black, I prefer coloured'

Why would you consider it 'polite' ? It smacks of trying to skirt around the terrible advantage that the person has to be born without white skin. It is the equivalent of referring to a gay person's partner or husband as their 'friend' deeply condescending and dismissive.

I hate being called coloured. i'm black, so call me black.

I don't know of any black person - young or old - who would say it's more polite to call us coloured.

I am old, and remember the N word being used, and learning that the proper word was black, which was then replaced with coloured, which now has changed again.
People should, of course, strive to use the currently acceptable words, but it isn't always easy to know what words. I bet I will use a few unacceptable phrases in this post. I grew up in and now live in an area with very, very few people who do not have white skin, so I simply might not know the currently, locally acceptable words. I didn't see a black person in real life until I was about 12, didn't interact with one until I was about 20. I have worked hard on unlearning the casual racism of my parents, and I do not mean to cause offence, I simply might not be up to date. One of my proud parenting moments is when my adult DS said he's pleased I brought him up not to be at all racist.
I would certainly wish to be corrected if I use the wrong term, but it is easy to be huffy simply through sheer embarrassment when called out.

I think it depends. For a black person I imagine they probably prefer being called black. (My dad does anyway) and an Asian person may prefer being called Asian. I'm mixed race and don't mind in the slightest being called 'coloured' - in fact that's usually how I refer to myself anyway. Too many labels and too many people being worried about using the wrong one is where all the hostility and negativity comes from in my opinion. We are all different, no point trying to hide it & being offended when someone points it out. Difference is what makes us all individual

You'll love this one.

Mum's friend's parent is in hospital for a medical issue and also suffers from dementia.

Friend's parent decides that the black lady in the bed opposite is actually her son.

Mum is relayed this story as "she decided that the nigress in the opposite bed"

Mouth. Hit. Floor.

Have had to reeducate mother about fucking racist terms again. She's not bigoted or racist but Jesus wept over some of the casual terms she thinks are ok.

Relative to some of the posts about usage in the US, "people of color" in the US is the usage that has been embraced to replace the term "non-white," which suggests that being white is the default or norm. POC in the US is roughly equivalent to BAME in the UK. It is not the same thing as what "colored" refers (or referred) to in the US.

"Colored" in the US was the term that was at one time used to describe black people; it was the accepted term until the 60s when the Civil Rights Movement embraced "black." Later African American also came into use. Both are acceptable terms in the US. "Colored" is not.

The NAACP has not changed it name for historical reasons, but it almost always is just known by its initials.

Newspaper
Mandela used the word 'coloured' once, but he got away with it. Because he was old, obviously

I've no idea where you might have got that story from but the term 'coloured' is normal to use in South Africa. It is an official term to describe a group. It doesn't mean all mixed race people but rather a specific group who have broad gene pool including white, Malay/Indian and black. There are lots of coloured people in South Africa and some in Namibia.
In South Africa blacks call themselves blacks, whites call themselves white and coloured call themselves coloured. Maybe it will change and coloured will become unacceptable but for now it's an official group.
As you can see HERE

There are about the same number of coloureds in South Africa as whites. I don't know how they would feel about being called something else. I don't think they consider themselves black.
I don't use the term coloured when I'm out and about in the U.K but I suppose if I were with my DH I might use the term to describe someone as coloured if they were as there isn't really another term that would describe them properly - they are not white, or black or typically mixed race.

I'm amazed that anyone would use the word 'coloured' in this day and age, but then again 'people of colour' seems to be perfectly acceptable in the US.

The word 'oriental' is unacceptable here, but seems to be in use in the U.K, so some places move on from words faster than others, I guess.

I agree that the term coloured is used in everyday speak in South Africa as is the N word. I asked why they use the N word and was told it was a term of endearment. Black people use it towards other black people, it is not used just by whites to describe blacks. I was appalled when I heard it and even told a black person that he couldn't use that word. He asked me why and said "But N isn't bad". He was very confused why it was a negative word.

CollarsAndCuff what? I lived in SA for 6 years and I never heard anyone using the N word. I witnessed racism and I heard other racist terms on occasion but I never heard the N word. I used to work in a township school so I heard all,sorts of things that would make your toes curl but not that word. I was living in joburg perhaps it's different elsewhere.

I was brought up to use the term 'coloured'. It was never meant in a derogatory way.

"I'm amazed that anyone would use the word 'coloured' in this day and age"

Because they may not have been advised otherwise. Us older folk were told to say coloured, not black, as evidenced by many posts here. See the quote below. Not everyone uses mumsnet

"People should, of course, strive to use the currently acceptable words, but it isn't always easy to know what words"

This ^^