So Yes, The English Language Is Racist Too

Summary

The article discusses the inherent biases in the English language where numerous terms associated with blackness carry negative connotations, perpetuating racial stereotypes.

Abstract

The author, a black woman reflecting on her childhood experiences, points out the prevalence of negative associations with the color black in the English language. She cites various examples, such as "black magic," "black despair," and "black propaganda," which link blackness to evil, sadness, or malice. These associations extend to phrases like "black sheep" and "black market," reinforcing a negative perception of blackness. The article argues that such language contributes to the daily microaggressions faced by black people, suggesting that society should consider revising its use of language to avoid perpetuating these biases. The author proposes a creative approach to language, such as using "purple rage" instead of "black rage," to mitigate the negative impact of these terms on black individuals and promote a more inclusive and considerate vocabulary.

Opinions

The English language contains many words and idioms that negatively conflate blackness with something undesirable or evil.
Constant exposure to such language can lead to unconscious negative associations with blackness.
These linguistic biases contribute to the systemic racism and microaggressions experienced by black people.
The author does not advocate for changing all black-related words in the dictionary but rather for increased awareness and consideration in language use.
She suggests substituting the word "black" with other colors in negative contexts to avoid reinforcing racial stereotypes.
The article emphasizes the importance of language as a social tool and its impact on shaping societal perceptions and attitudes towards race.
The author believes that by creatively adjusting our language, we can work towards a more inclusive English language that does not discriminate against entire groups of people.

So Yes, The English Language Is Racist Too

Photo credit: Lucas Gouvea for Unsplash

As a young black girl, English was one of my favorite subjects at school. So much so that I had excellent grades in grammar, vocabulary, literature, and creative writing. But I always wondered why so many words in the English language that related to blackness, pointed to a negative topic, state of being, or experience. Really honestly, have a look at the English dictionary and you’ll see what I mean.

You’ll probably read about black magic which is defined as connected with or invoking the supernatural, especially the devil. Or maybe black despair which is a very sad, gloomy, or calamitous state. Then there is black resentment which is characterized as being hostile, angry, or discontent. You’ll probably read about black propaganda which is the business of going to elaborate ends to spread half-true, misleading, or downright false information to get your enemy in trouble.

And then there are other expressions like the black sheep of the family. Someone who is an odd or disreputable member of a group or who brought shame upon the family name. Then there is the black market which is the illegal trading of goods that are not allowed to be bought or sold. Black ice is a dangerous type of ice that forms on roads and that is so thin that it cannot be seen by the driver, and could lead to a fatal accident.

And then there is a black swan event — which is a largely unexpected event that has potentially negative consequences. COVID-19 has been coined the black swan event of 2020.

Black humor is characterized by grim, distorted, or grotesque satire. A black-hearted villain is a bad and evil person, and if your future looks black, you’re not really on the path for success. And then one I find particularly interesting is the expression: “not to be as black as you are painted to be”, literally meaning you are not as bad as people say you are.

So why, why are there so many words, idioms, and expressions in the English language that connote blackness with something bad, evil, maleficent, negative … yes, add on all the terrible adjectives that you can find and chances are you would end up with something being defined as a black something.

Now transpose all this negativity, all this inherent badness, and evilness to black people, and you’ll understand we don’t stand a chance.

From the very beginning of life, human beings are socialized into language — the ultimate vehicle through which we communicate with each other. If your first, subsequent and repeated encounters with the word black is something negative, you’ll unconsciously begin to associate blackness with bad and non-desirable things.

Some of you reading this will ask, so what do we do now? Do we change all black-related words in the dictionary? That might seem like a preposterous undertaking wouldn’t it, and I wouldn’t advocate for that.

In this article, I aim to draw your attention to all these English words that work indirectly against black people. They constitute another facet of the litany of daily microaggressions black people face. We live in a world where even the language we speak sends us back to negative expressions of our blackness.

Revising the entire English language dictionary might be a Herculean task at this stage, and maybe we don’t have to go that far. But next time when you speak, and you are referring to something innately negative, why not substitute the word or adjective black for another color.

Maybe someone could be in a purple rage rather than a black rage? Maybe we can refer to fake news as red propaganda rather than black propaganda? And instead of a black swam event, we can maybe call it a yellow swam event?

Let us be creative, we are the custodians of the language and we can change it to be more inclusive and considerate of other people’s sensitivities. Over time, I feel that we can find other ways to express ourselves in the English language that don’t discriminate against entire groups of people.

You might not believe it, but it would do a world a good to little black children like I was at the time to not see blackness always associated with negativity or dark and evil intentions and deeds.

Thank a lot for reading my perspective.