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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it.  In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term.  So I use that now.  I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.[/quote]

Here is the basic rule: call people what they want to be called.

It's easy to assume that different people have different opinions about what they want to be called, just to make your life difficult or to make you feel bad, but that's not the case.[/quote]

I have no problem with different people having different preferences about what they want to be called.  That's totally fine and I'm happy to use what they prefer.  But our language around race is clearly in flux (and has been for a long time) so they also need to recognize that others of their same group, whatever it is, do not have the same preferences.  So best to assume the person not using your preferred term just needs to be told what you prefer, not that what they are using (that some people do prefer) is offensive or disparaging or means that you are racist.  And sometimes, we can't poll the entire group that is going to read a communication so maybe we have to go with what we know at least some people prefer, for today anyway.[/quote]

Are you the PP who presented research results? Did the people in your audience say, "'Black' is the preferred term', you ignorant racist?" If not, the people in your audience were telling you what they prefer -- just as you say.[/quote]

The way it was handled in my office was totally fine.  Although I do have someone - not in that meeting -  who's since sent me a correction to change Black back to African American.  I just told him the team prefers "Black" and we left it at that.

I was referring earlier example of a teen saying you can't call people black because it's offensive.  I've also seen people on message boards called ignorant or offensive for referring to "Native Americans" instead of "American Indians" since at some point that switched back -- for some people -- as the preferred term.  A simple correction is fine, along with an understanding that not everyone agrees with you about what's the best term for your group.[/quote]

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