Colored People?

At the beginning of the class Prof. Reisner played an audio on the Implicit Biased Study and it was a good start for me. In the first interview, the lady referred to the "color people". I was very glad this came out because this is something I have always thought about. Isn't the terms "color people" or "people of color" implicitly racist? It is for me.

When I hear this terms, I have the perception that "color people" is a synonym of "the other peoples". Why? Well, it is very simple. "People of color" is used for any race or physical appearance other than the white Anglo. It feels like being white is OK/normal and having color makes you specific or different, the other. Most whites won't get offended if you call them white.

I've never heard someone saying non-color people or people without color. There is not an equivalent to "color people" for white people. The whole idea is actually wrong. All skins have color. Melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its color, varies from light yellow to dark brown. There are other factors like oxygenation, blood supply and other proteins in the skin that can affect the skin appearance. Therefore, there is no such a thing as white or black skin.

I understand that the term probably began as an alternative not to use black, brown or the like in an attempt for being sensitive. But ultimately, it makes it worse. It looks prejudiced and accents the differences even more. This term feeds the taboos and fears that surround the racial topics.