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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you associate Urban with black?

75 replies

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:16

We are making a group at work, can't say what the group is but it's for men living in the city/built up areas

One white woman said "can't call it urban as than it will look like it's for black men".

Aibu I thinking that's quite weird

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 17/10/2025 09:17

That’s the usual euphemism.

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:18

Octavia64 · 17/10/2025 09:17

That’s the usual euphemism.

For whom?

OP posts:
Greggsit · 17/10/2025 09:31

As above, she's right. Urban is another word for black these days, particulary related to culture such as music, fashion etc.

Obviously it still remains it's original meaning, but the other exists.

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:42

So you would class someone as the same due to their skin colour. Eg someone who's read Latin at Durham is the same as a road man with his hands down his pants, Montclair jacket in summer and a knife?

That's a bit weird

OP posts:
Ecrire · 17/10/2025 09:44

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:42

So you would class someone as the same due to their skin colour. Eg someone who's read Latin at Durham is the same as a road man with his hands down his pants, Montclair jacket in summer and a knife?

That's a bit weird

What? Road man with his hands down his pants?

EgregiouslyOverdressed · 17/10/2025 09:44

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:42

So you would class someone as the same due to their skin colour. Eg someone who's read Latin at Durham is the same as a road man with his hands down his pants, Montclair jacket in summer and a knife?

That's a bit weird

What on earth are you talking about?

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:52

Ecrire · 17/10/2025 09:44

What? Road man with his hands down his pants?

Yes are you not urban

OP posts:
bluefluffytrees · 17/10/2025 09:53

Yes/street style/youth and ‘estatey’ as someone said on another post lol

inigomontoyahwillcox · 17/10/2025 10:03

You are arguing with people about the fact that a word has entered the common vernacular as meaning something different from its origin, i.e. urban referring to or inspired by "black culture" (I put quotation marks to acknowledge that black culture is very diverse, and this insinuates that there is only one).

It's inherently racist, but you asked whether people thought "black" when they heard "urban", and, as per above, the answer is yes.

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 10:06

bluefluffytrees · 17/10/2025 09:53

Yes/street style/youth and ‘estatey’ as someone said on another post lol

Exclusive to black or exclusive to city folk?

OP posts:
greglet · 17/10/2025 10:06

Interesting. I think 15-20 years ago I would have made that association, but now I don’t think I would. I associate the word ‘urban’ with a particular style of dress, music etc (when it’s clear that it’s not just being used to distinguish between urban and rural), but that style is no longer solely/mainly associated with young black people - at least not in London, where I lived for 15 years.

DEAROP · 17/10/2025 10:08

braceforcorrection · 17/10/2025 09:42

So you would class someone as the same due to their skin colour. Eg someone who's read Latin at Durham is the same as a road man with his hands down his pants, Montclair jacket in summer and a knife?

That's a bit weird

Most Black people in the UK live in urban areas. There are strong, long term, Black communities in nearly every major city, mostly hailing from Africa and the Caribbean, but growing Black communities from South America and Portugal, too. This long term presence has had an effect on shaping the culture of the cities to varying degrees. Music, food and fashion are three of the most observable ways they influence the areas in which they reside.

Going back to the two men:

If those two men both wear a Montclair (is that the right spelling?) jacket, they'd both be considered "urban road men" even though one has read Latin at Durham

To show that he isnt a road man, the graduate would have to avoid wearing clothes associated with "road men", simply because he is black. And even then, his clothes would be seen as a costume. And you know what? In some senses they may well be because he may prefer to wear a tracksuit and Montclair (still not sure!) jacket.

It isn't like a white man can wear the jacket and tracksuit without attracting similar criticism. He will and largely because that dress code is associated with being urban (read black) and so he is assumed to be of low class and character to desire to be associated with the such.

And it isn't strictly about professionalism, either. As pointed out in a recent thread on uniforms, professionals have more freedom than ever on what they wear to work. People nowadays romanticise poverty and essentially fashion is about looking shabby and low effort. Jeans, t shirts, beat up trainers, whatever. So it isn't a class thing where looking poor is the issue. There is a racial element where appearing to be black or positively influenced by Black culture is seen as the bad thing.

IndiaAutumn · 17/10/2025 10:11

Depends on context surely. “Urban planning”- town planning. “Urban music” - music of Black origin, eg hip hop, R&B.

DiscoBob · 17/10/2025 10:13

Not black men, more some kinds of black origin music. Rap/grime/trap/hip hop etc is often called urban.

DiscoBob · 17/10/2025 10:37

If it's for men living in cities can't you just call them 'city dwellers'?

RaininSummer · 17/10/2025 10:45

I have never heard of that use of the word 'urban'.

SteakBakesAndHotTakes · 17/10/2025 10:48

Not necessarily. If you have a poster you could add more information ie 'open to ...'

LividArse · 17/10/2025 11:18

Moncler, I think...

SomeConstellation · 17/10/2025 11:23

I’m more interested in why you are making a group for men who live in cities or built up areas, in your workplace?

Upstartled · 17/10/2025 11:24

Op: Can this word have connotations beyond my understanding?

MN: Yes

Op: Well, it shouldn't and you're all racist.

SomeConstellation · 17/10/2025 11:25

And I think that ‘urban’ meaning ‘Black’ started in the US, with white flight away from city centres to suburbs, and then morphed into being used for music.

Ddakji · 17/10/2025 11:26

inigomontoyahwillcox · 17/10/2025 10:03

You are arguing with people about the fact that a word has entered the common vernacular as meaning something different from its origin, i.e. urban referring to or inspired by "black culture" (I put quotation marks to acknowledge that black culture is very diverse, and this insinuates that there is only one).

It's inherently racist, but you asked whether people thought "black" when they heard "urban", and, as per above, the answer is yes.

The poll suggests otherwise.

I’m a Londoner, it’s never occurred to me than urban = black.

Bagsintheboot · 17/10/2025 11:27

I'm aware of the connotation but I can't say I've ever used it myself.

I'd just name your group something else and avoid any potential drama.

Legomania · 17/10/2025 11:29

City dwellers/urban living might be ok but tbh it depends on the branding/messages around it and the intended audience (which I assume is narrower than 'man who lives in a city')