It also strikes me as derailing to a good degree instead of focusing on the topic at hand - which is strategies to eliminate structural racism… Instead we’re talking about white people being made to feel uncomfortable about what language to use, rather than how they can contribute to dismantling our own privileges…
And Asheville is trying to do that. I’ve been there, quite a bit, and it’s a great, hip little mountain town (more expensive than it used to be, thanks in part to it’s emphasis on tourism). Once we can travel again, I recommend everyone go… don’t forget to do the Moog factory tour!!! I posted this elsewhere, and it discusses the strategy, to invest in Black Asheville, rather than send out payments to Black citizens… this strikes me as being far more effective in lifting up the Black community in the long term:
You go find them with your list of words and ask ask them which ones are good and which are bad and which ones are just part of the current style manual.
Be sure to let us know how that works out.
Your observation is legit. What I’m intending to say is… The history of race in the North American is a complicated, emotional, and thorny subject and I acknowledge that. Every individual deserves the right to dignity (which has historically been denied for many). Every community also deserves the right to name itself (which historically has also been denied). It’s not my place to name a person or community I’m not part of. @Melizmatic, thank you for your guidance.
Pperhaps wrongly, many publications now designate capitol “b” Black as proper grammar. The Diversity Style Guide (2019) states that Black ought to be capitalized. Sarah Glover, past president of the National Association of Black Journalists, wrote that “capitalizing the ‘B’ in Black should become standard use to describe people, culture, art and communities” (source).
I also recognize that not every member of a community may be in agreement with what is being promoted by the leaders of a specific community our what in those style guides or articles. Ultimately, this is Boing Boing’s publication and ultimately their call. I was in error stating it was “It’s all good”. Thankfully they changed it to something better. Appreciate the observations.
There are two issues here: the capitalization of the adjective “Black”, and then the use (regardless of case) of the noun “Black” or “Blacks”. The comment by @Doctor_Faustus appeared to hone in on the noun usage, which read uncomfortably to me as well. A rule of thumb I use is to try it in the singular with an article, and see if I’d still say it; eg. “Before saying 'Gays are driving cars” I would try “A gay is driving a car” - if suddenly it sounds dehumanizing, then the plural is questionable.
My sense is that the plural is so common that even upon a call to question it, all the first replies were unable to suss out the issue.
Hmmmm … I’m still pretty big on sending out payments, though I’m interested in hearing your reasoning.
From the article at The Root:
"The resolution provides broad parameters for what the city can invest in.
‘The resulting budgetary and programmatic priorities may include but not be limited to increasing minority home ownership and access to other affordable housing, increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities, strategies to grow equity and generational wealth, closing the gaps in health care, education, employment and pay, neighborhood safety and fairness within criminal justice,’ it reads.
First, the city will form a Community Reparations Commission, which will include participation from community groups and other local governments. The commission will recommend programs and resources the city should invest in to uplift its Black communities and make them safer and wealthier."
-I’m afraid that a couple of city councils down the road, they’ll focus on the ‘neighborhood safety’ part and forget the transfer of wealth.
The problem isn’t just that Black people are less likely to have wealth compared to their white peers, it’s the why of that.
I don’t believe they’re arguing for greater policing here, given that they are having their own BLM movement in Asheville. Working class people of color are more likely to be renters vs. home owners, meaning that they live in neighborhoods with a much lower tax based for schools, and minority-majority schools suffer as a result. Investing directly in schools will help the entire community, especially if you start programs that reach out to the larger community in a holistic way. Building up local infrastructure in general in minority-majority communities which have been continually starved of such initiatives can be more effective at combating systemic racism more generally. A one time cash payment can only go so far in dismantling the systems while overhauling the systems and investing in them can give you far more bang for your buck.
And that’s why you got to write the policies in such a way to forestall that.
And let’s not forget, there is NO silver bullet here. But there are reconciliation road maps out there to consider.
Indeed it was and I’m glad it was changed. But since I started this whole thing I suppose I will echo @Mindysan33 and ask to drop the topic now since it does derail the whole conversation.
