People Of Colour
A nebulous term that describes as few or as many people as the speaker desires, who typically has a political agenda they are seeking to promote.
A clear example that even language is subject to fashion trends.
When this term entered common vernacular, a significant number of eyebrows predictably raised. The term is so similar to coloured people, which has fallen out of favour due to its historically racist connotations, that it is debatable whether or not it would be wise to popularize such a minor conjugation.
‘Coloured people’ is an overly reductionist description of a group of people defined by their skin colour; ‘people of colour’ is an equally reductionist description of a group of people defined by their species but sharing a commonality of an arbitrary amount of melanin found in the skin. This seems like a distinction without a difference. Technically, they are different, but it is unlikely that their trajectories will differ. Due to their equally reductionist and arbitrary nature, ‘people of colour’ will inevitably become equally as unpopular as ‘coloured people’, but progenitors will congratulate themselves on its temporary usage in social discourse.
ACTIVISTS and ‘allies’ will insist upon the value of such rebrandings as opportunities to correct sins of the past while remaining careful to avoid mentioning that race is a social construct in the same conversation. If both of these perspectives arise at the same time, then questions could be introduced that may undermine the entire agenda. One such question: If race is a social construct that predictably generates unnecessary negative attitudes and violence, then why would we insist on perpetuating such a trend? This is when appeals to emotion and critical theories will be offered as embarrassing defenses for political agendas. Promises of different outcomes will be made now that different actors are leading the charge, or so they will say.
Most incoherent perspectives are thinly veiled ego-driven attempts at capturing power, and this is among them.
Posted: 30 Dec 2022
