In 2026, Is It Still Acceptable To Use the Term "Colored" When Describing Human Beings?

[Lanolin]

In terms of shopping, well I go to both the I suppose national supermarkets but also shop in Asian ones where the food of course is Asian (and generally fresher or cheaper) . Of course most all the packaged products would have Chinese writing on and mostly I can't read them so need translation, but when you grow up eating the food, it's just natural thing for you.

There used to be a huge stigma over Chinese restaurant food (use of MSG) and also, the takeaway had to modify their traditional dishes to appeal more to European tastes. But people nowadays are a lot more adventurous with cuisine and...now we can sample food from all over the world. Thank you globalisation, maybe that''s one of the good things about it.

However...air miles. And also its best to grow your own. Another thing, I have had to sometimes teach people how to use chopsticks (it gets better with practice) just as I had to learn european table manners, and they are quite different.

 

[NightTwister]

When I was young the term was "colored people." Then it became "black." Then it was "African American." Now it's "people of color." It seems we've come full circle.

 

[Lanolin]

Things like Black Friday sales and Boxing Day sales are sometimes just marketing ploys to get you in the door. Everyone wants to get rid of their old stock. But people DO queue up to be the first to get the bargains, it can get crazy.

Its just so ironic that everything is 50-70% off, marked down the day after that nowadays people don't even bother giving gifts on Christmas Day, they just give money and vouchers. So we can buy our own for much cheaper the day after.

 

[Lanolin]

When I was young the term was "colored people." Then it became "black." Then it was "African American." Now it's "people of color." It seems we've come full circle.

When I learned for the first time about Rosa Parks, I was really sad that happened in the US. I'm glad she stood up though, and everyone backed her up. It would have been really hard to always have to get up for white folks on the bus just because they got preferential seating. I think nowadays its people are respectful of elderly and disabled people and it doesn't matter what shade their skin is.

But that kind of separation and apartheid is really horrifying, like signs that would say 'no dogs or chinese' or things like that. It would make you feel so wrong and ashamed inside. Kids especially wouldn't know the reasons for it.

 

[ThereRoseaLamb]

Along with "Cracker," I also find it offensive when white people are called "Rednecks" or "Hillbillies."

As usual, I have a story. My oldest nephew, who has a son of his own now, came out with the funniest things. Being from the south he had quite an accent. It was cute because we had just moved from Canada and my sister still had that accent. But her son had this southern accent. So my mother said to him " You're a little redneck"!! and my nephew looked down , trying to see his neck and said " Nan Nan, I don'ts got a redneck!!" rofl We still tease him over that one.

 

[Lanolin]

I mean I'm glad she (Rosa Parks) sat down lol

Literally. She was supposed to get up and give her seat to the white folk when they came on the bus, but she was too tired and didn't want to.

 

[seoulsearch]

I said colored about someone and my hubby let me know that you might could say up north but not in the south hunny. So I say black and that seems to be ok so far.

When I was young the term was "colored people." Then it became "black." Then it was "African American." Now it's "people of color." It seems we've come full circle.

It's been fascinating to read what different people, from different places, and across different generations have been taught regarding this term.

 

[seoulsearch]

As usual, I have a story. My oldest nephew, who has a son of his own now, came out with the funniest things. Being from the south he had quite an accent. It was cute because we had just moved from Canada and my sister still had that accent. But her son had this southern accent. So my mother said to him " You're a little redneck"!! and my nephew looked down , trying to see his neck and said " Nan Nan, I don'ts got a redneck!!" rofl We still tease him over that one.

I always love your stories!!

This is an adorable illustration, in the purest form, of the saying that no one is born a racist.

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[ScooterJackson]

When I was young the term was "colored people." Then it became "black." Then it was "African American." Now it's "people of color." It seems we've come full circle.

Exactly. If they are now people of color then they are back to being called colored people

Black Friday sales

Isn't calling it Black Friday being racist against black people?

It's saying they have big discounts so stuff costs much less so black people can afford them.

If I were a black person I'd be offended at what is being implied.

 

[Lanolin]

How much melanin do you have?

 

[Lanolin]

The OG crayons


If I come across them in the shops I'll have a closer look at shades it looks like they have names for them.

I don't wear makeup but when I go and look at the makeup counter there's just. so many shades of foundation, lipstick, blusher, eyeshadow and nail colour that I just can't choose, and plus the lighting in stores is different from what it looks like outside. You are meant to test them on your own skin, the back of your hand or the inside of your wrist. And of course you skin can be different shades on either sides depending on how much sun you are exposed to.

 

[Lanolin]

Who here has used fake tan...it used to be a thing for pale girls to use it because tanning beds give you skin cancer.

But it generally just turned you orange.

 

[zeroturbulence]

Who here has used fake tan...it used to be a thing for pale girls to use it because tanning beds give you skin cancer.

But it generally just turned you orange.

I wanted to try it years ago but not anymore.

 

[ScooterJackson]

But it generally just turned you orange.

Maybe Trump uses fake tan.

He looks kinda orange sometimes.

 

[seoulsearch]

Who here has used fake tan...it used to be a thing for pale girls to use it because tanning beds give you skin cancer.

But it generally just turned you orange.

I wanted to try it years ago but not anymore.

Ah, tanning!!!

Now this subject brings up memories. I tried to tan when I was young and it was all the rage, but I hated sunburns, so I went the opposite route.

And when I read that the sun causes premature aging and saw my family members struggling with skin cancer, I started wearing SPF 30 sunblock whether it was raining or sunny. At that time, magazines said SPF 15 was the best and SPF 30 was a waste of money (it was the highest you could find at the time,) but I wore it anyway.

A few years ago they used to say SPF 30 was the best and SPF 50 was a waste of money -- guess which one I've been wearing. I'll wear 70 if I can find it, and Neutrogena had an SPF 100 (though that still doesn't block 100% of the rays,) but it felt like putting wallpaper paste on your skin so I couldn't wear it.

In my late 20's, all the girls I worked with were going to tanning beds and telling me to buy a tanning package. One girl insisted I'd look better tan and even left a bottle of self-tanner on my desk at work. I visited my parents in AZ and when we went to their church, I met one of the children's church leaders and she started telling me her life story -- and God told me to listen.

Instead of going into the sanctuary for the church service, we sat outside on the playground in the burning midday AZ sun for over 2 hours while she poured her heart out. Some of the things she told me that day, I'll remember for the rest of my life.

I came home with the only tan my co-workers ever saw me with, and they all said I looked so much better. But I went back to my regular pale routine.

I went to a dermatologist in AZ and, after looking at my arms, he was astonished because they were the same color from top to bottom -- no farmer's tan, or any sign of a tan at all.

Yes, I realize I might be part vampire.

Fast forward a few decades. I'm now in my 50's, but people usually think I'm around 35 -- including the guys who ask me out. When I'm in CC live chat, some people ask if my avatar picture is really old or of someone else, but all the avatar pics I've put up are of me from 2025-2026, except for one from 2023 which is one of the only known pictures of me with my hair down. And I saw Cinder in person this past summer, so she can hopefully vouch that I'm not a catfish, lol.

I actually hate pictures of myself but I felt God was telling me that some people need to see a face when they read the posts here.

The girl who insisted I should go tanning is around 8 years younger than me, but people always think I'm the younger one.

When people asked what I did, I know genetics is part of it, along with diet and lifestyle (I eat a lot of healthy things I don't actually like to stay in a healthy weight range,) but I honestly think sun protection was my number one defense.

And I know it won't last forever. I've read that Asian women either look really young or really old, and the grays are creeping in on me all the time.

I often joke with my Mom that any day now, I'm going to wake up looking 80.

Fun topic, thanks for bringing it up!

 

[zeroturbulence]

Ah, tanning!!!

Now this subject brings up memories. I tried to tan when I was young and it was all the rage, but I hated sunburns, so I went the opposite route.

And when I read that the sun causes premature aging and saw my family members struggling with skin cancer, I started wearing SPF 30 sunblock whether it was raining or sunny. At that time, magazines said SPF 15 was the best and SPF 30 was a waste of money (it was the highest you could find at the time,) but I wore it anyway.

A few years ago they used to say SPF 30 was the best and SPF 50 was a waste of money -- guess which one I've been wearing. I'll wear 70 if I can find it, and Neutrogena had an SPF 100 (though that still doesn't block 100% of the rays,) but it felt like putting wallpaper paste on your skin so I couldn't wear it.

In my late 20's, all the girls I worked with were going to tanning beds and telling me to buy a tanning package. One girl insisted I'd look better tan and even left a bottle of self-tanner on my desk at work. I visited my parents in AZ and when we went to their church, I met one of the children's church leaders and she started telling me her life story -- and God told me to listen.

Instead of going into the sanctuary for the church service, we sat outside on the playground in the burning midday AZ sun for over 2 hours while she poured her heart out. Some of the things she told me that day, I'll remember for the rest of my life.

I came home with the only tan my co-workers ever saw me with, and they all said I looked so much better. But I went back to my regular pale routine.

I went to a dermatologist in AZ and, after looking at my arms, he was astonished because they were the same color from top to bottom -- no farmer's tan, or any sign of a tan at all.

Yes, I realize I might be part vampire.

Fast forward a few decades. I'm now in my 50's, but people usually think I'm around 35 -- including the guys who ask me out. When I'm in CC live chat, some people ask if my avatar picture is really old or of someone else, but all the avatar pics I've put up are of me from 2025-2026, except for one from 2023 which is one of the only known pictures of me with my hair down. And I saw Cinder in person this past summer, so she can hopefully vouch that I'm not a catfish, lol.

I actually hate pictures of myself but I felt God was telling me that some people need to see a face when they read the posts here.

The girl who insisted I should go tanning is around 8 years younger than me, but people always think I'm the younger one.

When people asked what I did, I know genetics is part of it, along with diet and lifestyle (I eat a lot of healthy things I don't actually like to stay in a healthy weight range,) but I honestly think sun protection was my number one defense.

And I know it won't last forever. I've read that Asian women either look really young or really old, and the grays are creeping in on me all the time.

I often joke with my Mom that any day now, I'm going to wake up looking 80.

Fun topic, thanks for bringing it up!

I actually tan easily thanks to my fiiipino heritage, but I wanted to try it because it's safer than exposing yourself to the sun or using tanning beds and all the pro bodybuilders were using it at the time (and probably still do). But I think it's actually more trendy to have light skin now.

 

[cinder]

I saw Cinder in person this past summer, so she can hopefully vouch that I'm not a catfish, lol.

Nope definitely not a catfish. More like some kind of friendly doodle dog that likes to sit on the couch with its favorite humans. Though if I believed in reincarnation I'd be sure you'd come back as a stuffed animal (the children's kind not the dog toy kind).

 

[Tall_Timbers]

Whatever the shade of our skin might be, we're all cousins going back to Noah.

 

[seoulsearch]

Whatever the shade of our skin might be, we're all cousins going back to Noah.

Amen.

 

[seoulsearch]

As usual, I have a story. My oldest nephew, who has a son of his own now, came out with the funniest things. Being from the south he had quite an accent. It was cute because we had just moved from Canada and my sister still had that accent. But her son had this southern accent. So my mother said to him " You're a little redneck"!! and my nephew looked down , trying to see his neck and said " Nan Nan, I don'ts got a redneck!!" rofl We still tease him over that one.

Whatever the shade of our skin might be, we're all cousins going back to Noah.

This reminded me of another story.

I had a white friend who has daughters with a black father. We became fairly close over time, as I used to take the girls to church with me when their mother had to work on Sundays.

There was also a little adopted Korean boy (Tyler) in one of their Sunday school class that they loved helping to look after.

My friend told me that her daughters had declared to her that, "Mom!! When we grow up, we want to have babies that look JUST LIKE Tyler and Aunt Seoul!!!"

And it was said with complete innocence, not knowing anything about where babies come from and that you can't just decide what race they're going to be (unless adopted.) Her girls genuinely thought they could just "choose" to have full Korean babies!

It really showcases how pure children's hearts can be to the ways of the world -- the fact that children just see people, without race or color, until taught otherwise.

One of these girls has her own kids now, and no, they're not Korean -- but every time I think of it, I still laugh.