Why where black people ever referred to as colored?

Question

I mean black is a color and so is white...arent we all colored?

Answer 1

Hun why does it matter? why post questions like that? But Black folks come in different colors, all beautiful.

And Gladys I swear you talk that **** behind a computer but I bet my last dollar you wouldn't have that voice on the street.

I wanna kick your *** so damn bad. It's white people like you...who make people hold HATE and HURT in their heart.

Black people have gone through so much!! so much!! Leave us alone!!!

Answer 2

Colored was meant as a term for people who weren't white. White is an absense of color and black is all colors mixed together in sense of the color spectrum. I do agree, we're all some color. White people aren't really white (well, some are very pale) so, it's just a term used to describe something really.

Answer 3

It depends on the era you're talking about. My grandparents were taught when young never to use the term "n----r". We're talking about almost 100 years ago. They were told to refer to blacks as "colored" and that was the respectful term at that time (pre WW1 through WW2). It was replaced by "*****," eventually "Black" and finally "African-American." I can't figure which of the last two are in vogue right now, so I just try to avoid the reference.

Answer 4

Impossible Princess you got that backwards. Black is the absence of color and white is all colors together.

However, "black" people aren't black and "white" people aren't literally white anyway...

Answer 5

That's a good question, it's unfortunate that you had to ask it in a horrible section of yahoo answers.

Recently, I was doing my family tree, and found that on some of the census reports some of my native american family was listed as mulatto, then as colored, then as black.

There were a lot of multicultured people back then (which is why it's such a rainbow of african american colors today...) and often times it was hard for the census reporter to distinguish how much african blood a person had in them, how much native american blood, etc. It was important back then for them to know, because if a person was like 1/4 black, he was considered black. Native americans often time merged with the other races of the population as well. It was hard for the census takers to know how much blood of one race each person had in them. Often times, black people who were multicultured were listed as mulatto, as well as ones who were actually full blooded native americans, etc. Some did not know for sure how much blood of whatever races they had in them.

Eventually, the census people changed it so that everyone who was not obviously white was lumped together and listed as a person of color. And then, the colored people were lumped together and listed as black.

This has led to a cultural genocide of native american culture, because many have native american ancestors and don't know it, and the ways and traditions of native american families have been totally lost in time.

but yes, we all have skin color, but that's why they started doing it.

Answer 6

Black is the absence of color...get over it. Amazing how 14% of the population comprises 40% of the prison population, consumes 38% of food stamps, welfare payments, have the lowest mean family income of any race, and default on education loans at a higher rate than all other races.

Answer 7

White and black are shades not colors. White people are pale in "color", while people who are not white have darker degrees of color to them

I guess you could technically call a white person a Peach person...lol

Answer 8

I don't like to use the term "white." I prefer to say, caucasian. Its not just African Americans. Everyone that is not caucasian is considered "colored." Regardless of whether they are Asian, Latin or Middle Eastern (even though the latter will probably tell you otherwise) they are all non-white in their complexions.

Answer 9

Would seem so. This is just old fashioned white people figuring a way to address people who's color is a little darker than theirs.

Answer 10

i think back in the ole days, white is not considered a color. white was considered a norm and maybe they didn't know how to exactly describe someone who is nonwhite.