Barack Obama

[flip-flop]

Letter in The times yesterday was querying why he refers to himself as black when his mother is white. Same with Halle Berry - she has a white mother yet refers to herself as black.

It got me wondering. What is the correct term nowadays? Coloured is out as is half-caste (quite rightly in my opinion- horrible expressions).

Afro-European was suggested.

Whatever they are, Barack Obama and Halle Berry are not black.

[anotheoldgit]

Does it really matter White, Black, Brown, Yellow. It is the way one conducts themselves not what colour they are.

But it does seem strange to me that those who are forever accentuating their colour differences also don't wish to be classed different, and quite right too, But please just forget what colour you where born and jump into the great melting pot of the Human Race.

[Yorkie580]

The government allows people to "self-define" as follows...

A1: Asian-Indian. A2: Asian-Pakistani. A3: Asian-Bangladeshi. A9: Any other Asian background

B1: Black-Caribbean. B2: Black-African. B9: Any other Black background.

O1: Chinese. O9: Any other ethnic group

M1: White & Black Caribbean. M2: White & Black African. M3: White & Asian. M9: Any other mixed background

W1: White British. W2: White Irish. W9: Any other white background.

Unfortunately you are not allowed to identify yourself as:

Black-British, Asian British, White-English, White-Welsh etc. All you can say is that you are "Other."

What I find incredibly disconcerting is that if you work for (or even become involved with) a public organisation, you have to define yourself not only as one of the above, but also by marital status, sexuality, religion and age every time you apply for anything, be it promotion, a training course or transfer within the organisation!