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Black Mumsnetters

What is your preferred term for your ethnicity or racial background?

152 replies

Jamdown123 · 24/10/2021 20:07

I'm just wondering how people feel about:

People of Colour
Ethnic Minority
Black
Nubian
Coloured (surely a complete no-no, but let us see!)

And for people who have parents or grandparents that are not black?:
Mixed race
Mixed
Bi-racial (I don't really like this so much because it assume two races, when someone might be more)

I am black myself, and I like black, but am conscious it could exclude people who also identify as another ethnicity as well as Black. I have also just used 'African' though I'm Caribbean I consider my blackness to be African in roots. Not all of my Caribbean friends like that of course, because they aren't African Caribbean. I actually don't like 'people of colour' because it suggests, once again, that white isn't a colour as it doesn't really reference white people, when it most definitely is!

OP posts:
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flatclearancehelp · 02/11/2021 00:50

@Delectable

I'm Nigerian and British. I don't like the term Black cos I'm not black, my skin colour isn't black. I've never met anyone with "black" skin. I question why the word black in the midst of all the negativity associated with the darkest colour when the skin colour is actually brown. There're Africans with very light skin and also albinism, they're Africans nothing black in their colour either.

I much prefer Nigerian then African. My DH is English and I think I'm fine with our children being identified as mixed race but Nigerian English would be more appropriate.

I don't have African heritage, but my skin isn't white, it's tan / pinky / yellowy, depending on the light. I've never met anyone with proper white skin, ie white like copy paper. just like African skin we come in all shades. But if pushed I would call myself 'white'.

The tricky bit when filling out the demographic questions is what sort of 'white'. Born in the southern hemisphere to parents with Eastern European and Spanish heritage, now a British passport holder, I'm a cultural mess.
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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 02:04

@flatclearancehelp Great stuff. And why are you telling us this? As I’m fairly sure nobody asked. You think you identifying as white is in some way germane to a conversation on Black Mumsnet about how POC/minorities/Black people identify? It’s not.

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EchoNan · 02/11/2021 08:31

@Buggritbuggrit. Same person started an unpleasant thread about Jeremy Paxman slurring his words. Others pointed out the man has developed Parkinsons disease. So obvs posting here to further demonstrate shit for brains. Let's just move on and not derail. Off for my jab. Have a good day all.

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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 08:38

@EchoNan Sigh, I need to get better at not rising.

Have a fabulous day.

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EchoNan · 02/11/2021 08:40

Take care me dear x

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TouchMyToe · 02/11/2021 09:41

@Buggritbuffrit, you may need to get better at rising but i have no such convictions.

@flatclearancehelp what relevance is your issue to this thread? Please stop

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RedMarauder · 02/11/2021 09:44

@EchoNan I remember debates on whether Ruud Guillet was seen as a black man or a Dutchman because of the lack of black managers in football. The consensus from British black players was that he was seen as Dutch first.

I only ended up watching that stuff because my older siblings are around your age.

@Jamdown123 Thames TV has a channel on Youtube with lots of footage from the 1970s and 1980s.
So you can find stuff like this -

Liverpool 1972-
St Pauls Riots 1980-

Also there are films like Blacks' Britannica -

Obviously all the films have their biases but some of the comments under them are very interest.

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EchoNan · 02/11/2021 11:27

I haven't seen that footage before RedMarauder. That area of Liverpool is where I'm from, and DH's family too. Wow! Talk about flashback's! I'll show him it later on. St Paul's I hadn't seen. It winds me up when I see ploppers saying "stuff" didn't happen here ( UK) and it was all hundreds of years ago, and so on.

I've a big thing about being black in sport in England over the years. We could do a thread on it at some point. I always had a crush on Ruud lol!

@Jamdown123
Sorry for the lengthy posts from me. You created a marvellous thread here. It's interesting for me reading about those who don't describe themselves as black first and foremost, and why.

I hope that you can see that: for some of us, Black/British, Black/English is important. ( And that we didn't all turn white or pinkGrin)

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RedMarauder · 02/11/2021 11:41

EchoNan it's nice to share plus have people verify that things are actually true so others can see it.

Jamdown agree it is an interesting thread and you have generated ideas for a few more discussion points.

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NahNotHereThis · 02/11/2021 22:37

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BlackAndGreen · 02/11/2021 22:41

Bye! Do leave us your picture before you go.

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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 22:50

@NahNotHereThis You created an entirely new account to come to a section for which you see no reason (we didn’t come find you), to tell us that you see no reason for said section and don’t want to participate in it (again, nobody has asked you to), inform us that we are bullies (you may want to look up with the word means), compare race to nationality and then ‘remove yourself’.

All very rational behaviour. Such a shame we’ve missed out on the heralded photo. Goodbye then. Best of luck in your future endeavours. Grin

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NahNotHereThis · 02/11/2021 22:50

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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 22:52

My dedication to not rising was tragically short lived. We should get ‘why are you obsessed with us?’ sign and just flash it at these creatures when they turn up.

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NahNotHereThis · 02/11/2021 22:54

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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 22:54

@NahNotHereThis Why are you here, though? You don’t want to be here, you’re not being restrained and nobody is lobbying for your continued presence. Why are you posting in this section? As opposed to being carefree elsewhere?

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EchoNan · 02/11/2021 23:00

@Buggritbuggrit

My dedication to not rising was tragically short lived. We should get ‘why are you obsessed with us?’ sign and just flash it at these creatures when they turn up.

Lol!
My guess is that it's a Kemi Badenoch tribute act.
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Buggritbuggrit · 02/11/2021 23:06

@EchoNan Grin or, more topically, Halloween Grin

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EdmontinaDancesWithOphelia · 02/11/2021 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EchoNan · 02/11/2021 23:12

The Archers threads! A young squaddie I knew became very unwell MH wise. As part of his therapy (long story) he was asked to listen to Archers episodes for " homework" to help calm him down, learn to relax. Twenty years later he still listens in ( and is in a much better place MH wise) Grin

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EchoNan · 03/11/2021 08:45

And with that, I'll be going for a nc. Back in a while.......

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IsleofRum · 05/11/2021 14:33

@TouchMyToe

I'm black, grew up in the Caribbean, now living in the UK and I like to be referred to as the Caribbean Queen black

I agree with you.
Person of Color sounds like, so like Californian?
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Maze76 · 02/12/2021 00:27

Black mixed race or black British

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LiterallyKnowsBest · 08/12/2021 16:35
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NotSoNewAndShiny · 16/01/2022 14:06

Sorry just seeing these mentions.

@Delectable I hear you. You can be an honorary Igbo. I had a lot of Yoruba friends in uni and it's one of my favourite languagesSmile

@TrussOnABus Thank you ❤
@EdmontinaTiresofNameFlipping I hear you and agree very much with your sentiments here. I'm all for allowing and releasing the tears when they come.Flowers


@Google31 I've enjoyed your exchange with @Buggritbuggrit and agree with pretty much all you've both written.

This has really been a very interesting and informative thread. So much to learn from each other.

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