"Coffee, two sugars...and I'm not black, please."

By Charley Mantack-Headey

This essay was (finally) written in 2019.

"Sticks and stones do break bones and names can hurt too - now more than ever words are causing significant harm and it’s time to change what we say."

I get perplexed, not easily and not often - but I see this quite clearly and can’t understand what stops other people from seeing it too.

For some time I’ve wondered why upon necessary description, more times than not, people don’t instantly describe a caucasian person as being “white”. They’d state, “that lad with the red t-shirt”, “the guy with the blue jeans”, or “the dude with blonde hair”. On the opposing side when describing a person of African or Caribbean decent, they are instantly described by their colour - “that black guy”, “the mixed-race lad”, “that black girl” - does this sound equal?

When it comes to those equal opportunity forms we all love to hate filling in ‘for statistical purposes’, I see ‘black British’, ‘black African’, ‘mixed white and black’…and just to clarify I’m definitely not comfortable with seeing or using the word ‘white’ either. But Asians get to be Asian, even Asian British, and have an additional deluxe choice of nationalities including; Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, and ‘Other.’ The Chinese (okay justifiably belonging in the Asian category dependent upon country) still retain their identity - though I am not aware of any preferred inner circle classification or distinction – yet you wouldn’t call a Chinese person yellow, as that would be a cast upon their skin colour and profoundly racist. So why attribute the colour word of 'black' elsewhere?

The last time I heard, black was not an ethnicity. I get the need for the results driven forms, but it’s time to remove this outdated classification? I’m ready for an upgrade.

For me the black adjective seems to follow on in an evolution of appropriated words: ’negroes’, ‘coloureds’, ‘blacks’, ‘half caste’, ‘mixed race’…now we’re back to ‘black’. Some of the population do not identify as being ‘black’, but resonate with ‘brown’. Others feel it’s more appropriate to be known by their name and personality, and 'the content of their heart', but will be placed within this box without their required opinion.

Current trends see the word black accepted. Empowering the user, feeling they are being noticed, and allowing them to take ownership. But is it not the user that is owned by the word bestowed upon them by its unknown and original source, thereby not being of ownership but overseen for box placement - figuratively and literally.

I think use of the word black maintains, if not creates segregation. It provides category stating, “you are this”, “therefore I am that”, and thus, highlighting difference erroneously. It 'others' and this type of disparity is dangerous. It can create a spectrum of prejudice from prejudged conscious or unconscious oppressing thought, to verbal and/or physical aggression.

Not to downplay colour, or to appease those who are so opposed, or even to make feel comfortable, but to integrate true equality of a colourless and humanistic society - let’s close this off - I challenge you to find an alternative word to using black today.