What word or phrase are you allowed to use

[johnk]

What word or phrase are you allowed to use to refer to people of a dark skin (being very careful with my words, don't want an 8 question ban!!)

[funnygirl]

I prefer black.

Black is beautiful!

[johnk]

If coloured is not PC how can black be?

[woofgang]

why do you want to? So far as I can think the only reason to do so would be to match foundation shade or talk about flattering eyeshadow colours and in that case you could try something like this
http://www.beccacosme...kin/becca-skin-tones/

[johnk]

I always thought 'coloured' was OK but one of the football pundits used it and has had to make a grovelling apology, so what should he have said?

[woofgang]

what was the context?

[johnk]

Don't know I wasn't actually watching, but I expect he was talking in general about footballers

[nannybooby]

woolfgang - maybe he is describing a collegue to some hwho has not seen the person in question its not un pc to say she/he is coloured and has brown eyes and dreadlocks or is white with long red hair.Sometimes its just a description.

[tamborine]

Why not by country of origin ie Carribean/Asian/African etc ?

[sara3]

black is the answer. mixed-race might be acceptable if you're sure of your facts.

coloured (which we said as kids) covers all the colours of the rainbow. I believe black people would rather be called black, if you must refer to anyone's shading!

[johnk]

Tam, that's a good idea but only if you know it

[sara3]

Tambo, perhaps a lot of black/mixed race/whoever people are actually British.

[lcg]

i recently described one of my colleagues as 'the asian gentleman' to a patient. i hope i said the right thing, because i was simply describing him as he is. i use the term black, asian, arabic, middle eastern etc. on how people describe themselves to me. i've no idea if i have ever offended anyone and it certainly wouldn't be intentional...i tend to ask people where they are from if i'm not sure. that also has a bearing on how people see themselves.

[tamborine]

so are English British but we dont say British English or British Irish, or me British Australian :0)

[woofgang]

nanny, coloured covers such a lot of colours that its not a particularly useful descriptive term.
A jamaican colleague of mine HATES the term "carribean" as white people exterminated the Carrib race during the IIRC 17th century

[johnk]

Thanks Sara
Love the avatar BTW

[woofgang]

sorry, not Carib are, Carib nation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carib_people

[jno]

depends what colour you are yourself. Why do you need to?

[LoftyLottie]

Black, white or of Asian Origin are fine I think. That's what is used in police descriptions and is not offensive in any way. Sometimes is is necessary to describe a person and nothing wrong with using the above at all. 'Coloured' doesn't actually describe anybody - we are all coloured!!

[LoftyLottie]

This morning I look a bit grey actually !! ;o)

[nannybooby]

Goodness had to laugh at British Irish.....the OH would have appoplexy at that he is IRISH