I remember my granny who’d worked in the mills using it to describe cloth. Thanks for reminding me of her! X
1 Like
I lived just off Streatham High Road as a kid!
It’s a long story, too long to detail here.
Black was used by white-skinned people in the 1950s and '60s in USA and UK in a way that was intended to be discrimatory and insulting by many. “No Dogs, no Blacks, no Irish” in the windows of rooms to let.
Africans and African American people decided to reclaim the term to a position of dignified affirmation hence the Black Pride movement, and the notion of Black Consciousness. Thus it became their own, and the right to define its use and significance.
The term ‘coloured’ was borrowed or appropriated in the 1970s from apartheid South Africa where it was used as a legal definition of people of mixed race i.e. of mixed African-Caucasian heritage, or Afro-Asian or European-Asian heritage. ‘Coloured’ people were viewed as ethnically superior to Blacks, and were sequestered in Coloured Communities.
The term coloured was degraded in the UK because of its being derived from the fascist apartheid state of South Africa. It suggested a state of ethnic inferiority that was intolerable to both black and mixed-race individuals, because it perpetuated discriminatory racial thinking and behaviours.
The term ‘people of colour’ has come into fashion to define those who are not white-skinned. So it can be used in political and sociological discourse to signify people at risk of discriminatory behaviour, policies, and broader thinking. It applies to Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Indonesian, Arab and many other global citizens as distinct from Caucasian/European or other 'white- skinned individuals or groups, these latter types making up a substantial minority of human kind. The majority are ‘non-white’ but the thought never enters their minds to define themselves in this way. Why should it? 
Hope this helps a little. Best always IMO to be guided by how people wish to be described, given an option to do so. I have a stake in this as the parent of three adult ‘mixed-race’ or dual heritage ‘children’, and husband of an ethnic African woman who would describe herself as African, or black African if pressed on the issue.
Her complexion is not actually black, like many African folk there is a wide range of brown skins from very dark brown like dark chocolate, through bright chestnut, to the colour of very milky coffee, and always lots of pink. Not many people ask her where she comes from. She has lived in Europe for 50 years, and there’s something about her that persuades people not to ask her that question, because it is redundant, and matters not a jot.
2 Likes
Telford Avenue me.
Hopton Road, opposite the ice rink!
Small world.
1 Like
Many years ago, I remember going through the family photo album with my (US born) mother, there was a photo of a bobbed Doberman that was from before my time, I a sked my mother what it was called and she said, "Ni—er "! Obviously, I asked her why and her explanation was that in the States there used to be a colour of shoe polish that was known as Ni—er Brown (I should add that my mother was from Michigan, not one of the Southern States).
The above deletions are because this site doesn’t accept the ‘n’ word; while this is reasonable, having lived in post-Apartheid South Africa, I’ve learned that there are English words which cause far more offence, yet don’t attract the same level of opprobium in the rest of the world.
But, being a reliably liberal site, it indulged my derring-do parry with both ni#ger and it’s near neighbour nig#er.
Very reasonable I reckoned, and no offence intended, just making an intelligent point about cyber-fetishism taking over from common sense.
They are already re-writing history in Bristol.
Changing the name of the Colston Hall and wanting to take down statues.
Why they can’t put up plaques to explain where these people made their money instead of trying to airbrush everything off the face of the earth, they might achieve something worthwhile.
3 Likes
It was the dog’s name. Calling him Ni**er would have confused him, I would have thought.
My first black Labrador was named after Guy Gibsons Labrador. I would call another black lab the same (just to annoy the folks) . These days people take offence at anything that falls to mind. Pitiful state of affairs.
You called your labrador “Guy Gibson”?! Seems rather formal.
I trust you gave him a full dog show title of Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar.
6 Likes
I can get you an appointment at specsavers if you dont feel up to doing it yourself
1 Like
Do they do senses of humour?
1 Like
@anon22869222’s looking for the sunny side of this topic, very reasonable question as well :“Do they do sense of humour?” (at Specsavers)
By all accounts, Bethard, Betfair, Betway, Unibet and Ladbroke Coral are the sure-fire favourites for family-sized smiles all year round, Mary. And there’s at least 3 outlets for mirth and conviviality in every High Street, many more than at the opticians I guess!
Don’t forget to take your Credit Cards! It’s a guaranteed giggle! 
1 Like
Think it came out if the Spanish and portugais word for black which is negro,
Everything should be taken in context not rewriting history as is the norm now.