And you call ME coloured?

[SuBee]

I heard this poem today, and thought it was good......, the author wished to stay anonomous due to the fact that he wanted people to just concentrate on the words of the poem

Coloured

When I was born, I was black.
When I grew up, I was black.
When I get hot, I am black.
When I get cold, I am black.
When I am sick, I am black.
When I die, I am black.

When you were born, You were pink.
When you grew up, You were white.
When you get hot, You go red.
When you get cold, You go blue.
When you are sick, You go green.
When you die, You go purple.

AND YET YOU CALL ME COLOURED!!!

by an Anonymous pupil of King Edward VI School, Birmingham, UK.

 

[Oisin]

Brilliant!

 

[Kate]

Clever

 

[Alf]

Very clever O0

 

[mazbeth]

I saw something similar a while ago, and it finally clicked why the word 'coloured' isn't right for black people, and why most of them don't like being called it...
mind you...neither is black most of the time...
ah, things are complicated

signed,
white and pink woman with cold red nose ;D

 

[SuBee]

I was discussing the very same thing recently............

Is it about what words we use to describe anything really? Or is it more about the endearing or not so endearing way the words are portrayed...........

Am I fat, obese, chunky chubby, voluptuous, cuddly......................?

Answers on a postcard please

 

[Oisin]

... Am I fat, obese, chunky chubby, voluptuous, cuddly......................?

Answers on a postcard please

Well seen as you asked, Yes!

 

[SuBee]

Rhetorical ring any bells?! :knuppel2:

 

[Rod]

No use saying anything Oisin cus whatever you say youll be wrong, trust me, I know Im right The Bonner woman is never wrong when she comes over all magniloquent :coolsmiley:

 

[janus53]

That is the verse my son uses a lot! I am white he is of mixed-race parentage father is black -he also says
My Mum is white
My Dad is Black
and I am the BEST of both of them

We now live in South West Scotland where they appear to live in the 1930's when it comes to race I loathe the word "coloured" my son is mixed race or black visually , coloured to me says nothing what does that mean! I constantly correct people here when it is used and ask them "well what colour is he ?" They are all afraid to say the word Black for fear of ofending was that not there parents generation that taught them that !!mm! We once lived in Bristol where as a multicultural city I found a lot less of that ,Glasgow is now our City but we live in a town close by and attitudes are still from way back when . Perocial and out of date -my pride is my son and and his character and integrity is so much more than judgements that ignorant people often make due to skin colour,He embraces both parts of himself and is proud of who he is.Like he often says to me you aren;t really "white" Mum are ya ! more like a pinky beige ha! I get more bothered by the "coloured" word and will always continue to challenge people when I hear it ..

 

[Rupert]

I think that this is a very interesting thread. I feel that I have a need to respond to it but at the same time it is a worrying business. One hates to run the risk of offending someone. Anyway, to me, black and white are not even colours. They are only words describing the extremities of the spectrum. Surely brown and pink are more accurate descriptive words for human colour tones. Then there are those of Indian, Chineese, and other Pacific rim countries. Are colours even applicable here. Perhaps, as daft as it sounds, the UN should give the world some guidence here. So that we can all go about the business of life without the worry of comitting unintended offense.
I left GB in the late sixties and only returned with my pink wife in 75 for a visit. During that trip in Brum we were somewhere...can't remember where now...and we had occasion to talk to a young lady...brown if you will...and I was totally supprised to find that she talked to me in a broad brummie accent. I guess I was expecting a Jamaican one. I was taken aback for a moment but then realised that she was born in Brum. What other accent would she have had. When I lived in Birmingham she would have been called West Indian but this does not apply anymore I think. How much removed from the far shores do you have to be, before you become native to the near ones.
Whilst there may be a need for mutually accepted descriptive words, it must be remembered that these words in no way reflect upon the content of the person beneath the skin.

 

[Wakadowakado]

There are many people anxious to ask simply for a 'black coffee' and use the
term milkless. We are in a sensitive era. No compatibility will be effected until
you change what goes on in people's hearts and minds WAK

 

[Beryl M]

I am Coloured
by Ayesha A van Staaden
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
From the lips of a coloured
I am as brown as brown as I can be. Yet they tell me I am too white to be black and too white. I am coloured. My forefathers were coloured and those before him as well. They claim we came in by ship and got surnames according to when we arrive on land. Yet they tell me I am too black to be white and too white to be black. I am coloured. My eyes as black as sloe I am as brisk as brisk can be. I get told white is for weddings and black is for mourning. Yet they tell me I am too white to be black and too black to be white. I am coloured. But in usefulness does my colour really matter? In the beauty of my face, there is no such colour, don’t we all agree? Yet they tell me I am too white to be black and too black to be white. I am coloured. Unlike the river, we were told were to go. Go there, you too white. Go there, you too black. Where shall I turn, where shall I go? Don’t tell me I am too white to be black, and to back to be white , because I know that I am coloured.

 

[Balrog]

No compatibility will be effected until
you change what goes on in people's hearts and minds WAK

Right On The Button Wak

This doesnt just apply to race issues........ Prejudice is a mighty spectrum. Race, Disability, Sexuality, Religion, Non Religion, all these and more invite Prejudice. We all carry prejudice, for one thing or another.

 

[Catkin]

We always have and i am afraid always will until the end of time...Cat

 

[Beryl M]

You are absolutely right Wake - and I agree with Rod

Prejudice can come in many forms. It is a rigid and irrational generalization about an entire category of people which don’t fit into our culture which is absolutely wrong. Discrimination is the action taken. We have seen this in Ireland regarding religion. .

People are people and as such have free will and are entitled to believe what they want to. . . Who has monopoly on the truth anyhow. . Not one of us. . .

As to what colour we are – it is said we all are created in God’s image.

There is much wisdom in the Bible: Mathew 7 ‘Judge not lest thou be judged.’ You shall love your neighbour as yourself,’ James 2:8-9. . . In John verse 10 is of a great shepherd who rules saves his sheep. The Father gives them to Him. He dies for them. He calls them by name. He gives them eternal life. And he keeps them forever. However, Jesus says in verse 16, ‘I HAVE OTHER SHEEP, THAT ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD.’

 

[Wakadowakado]

A simpler analogy of natural comfort for individuals is 'Birds of a feather flock together' and in the main they choose where they want to spend their time
WAK

 

[I Am Nico]

I am guessing Jesus was 'coloured' as he came from a hot country.
There will always be bigotry as it is one of our human traits.
I think the world had gone mad today though about worrying about offending people as the people who really offend others set out to.
Get on with living and if I offend someone I am not to big to say sorry.

 

[paul stacey]

I agree with you nico, there are too many people in this world, with far too a big chips on their shoulders, and spend all their time and energies feeling insulted, and looking for fault in everyone they meet.paul

 

[I Am Nico]

You could have worked at the same place as me Paul, hearing that.