As I've been putting together material for the site (working with writers and editors, specifically), I've noticed that some people use a lower-case b for black and others capitalize, as in "Black artists." I've always used a lower-case b because lessons from childhood die hard and it's been a habit since I was about 6 years old.

Presumably the rule is that black and white are lower-case because they are simple descriptors, like "tall" or "wealthy." Meanwhile Japanese, African, European, etc. are upper-case because they refer to specific geographic locations--Japan, Africa, Europe.

They're all just artificial rules, however, and I could easily be talked into changing my ways. Weirdly, if I'm going to capitalize "Black" then the organizer in me insists on capitalizing "White" as well, for the sake of parallelism. I've seen that done, but then we get into other issues. I've also sometimes seen Black capitalized and white not capitalized, but that always comes across as a form of insecurity to me. Like people need to prove their okay-ness by puffing themselves up and lowering others. That doesn't seem like such a good option to me. But that's me. Other thoughts?

You don't have this problem in romance languages, of course, where everything is lower-case.

Interesting.

I capitalize Black because it is a name for a specific group or movement similiar to Christian, Surrealists, Modernists . I.e. persons/entities who identify with either being apart of the African Diaspora or related to those who identify with others who identify with those movements.

I also capitalize White (except in some cases where I guess I'm insecure!) because of the same reason. A specific group or movement.

Though these terms ar used in other countries I retain the capitalization due to the fact that in the United States they are specific identies attached to movements of power within the realms of culture and commerce - and even though these are both still "living" movements or as anderson says imagined nations.

noelle

I feel you REBORN and I further do not believe there an issue of insecurity here. it is an issue of power differential. Black artist (people) have less in terms of resources, access to power ect. The whole thing with captializing is just one small way to get ona more even footing. It forces you to consider that issue of power and access. Whereas if you did not capitalize, you could go on thinking that somehow "it doesn't matter", but of course it does.

I intentionally, and with great and vicious deliberateness capitalize Black and lowercase white, because I don't give a f$%# about the white man's journalistic rules, and I just feel like it.

question from a white man who despite that, also doesn't give a f@#$% about the white-created journalistic rules.

does capitalizing one word and not another accomplish any sort of power-equalizing at all?

if so, how?

if one answer is instilling a "sense of empowerment", at what point does it become necessary - if ever - to recognize the inevitable backlash that basing one's power on the weakness of others (or one's success on the failure of others') is a method that however popular in the past, is not and should not be the future. that is unless all this talk of democracy and equality the last couple hundred years really was just all bullshit. and the "have-nots" are just waiting until the moment they get to be the "haves" and then they'll do as they please just like those before them did...

i have to not think this will be the case. not out of fear or even optimism, but maybe hope.

considering the profoundly flawed nature of words, i guess i should not assume or take it for granted that mine will always be successful in their intent.

in light of this, i wanted to add a couple things to the last post:

i fully believe in weakening the power of those who oppress or exploit - whenever one can, for whatever reason. i just also cannot think it's good to rely on that or see that as being mutually inclusive or proportional to the increase of my own power, or that of those whom are oppressed or exploited.

also, i am fully aware that on a certain level i am the embodiment of the white man's journalistic rules, just by the happenstance of my skin color. but i didn't choose this. i don't resent it. i don't care to be a self-hating individual full of vicarious rage. but i also do not embrace it. it is what it is and it does not cover the other deeply rooted differences or the very common similarities that rest beneath it.

i can hate the same enemy, even if my reasons flow from a different stream.

but having seen and heard life being privy to the viewpoint of those i despise, i can also say that some actions that can be done against them have more power than others in effecting any real damage. and my question/concern as to the last point was a genuine attempt to understand if there was not more to the act in question than i was understanding. some may even say a naive attempt. but i disagree. this country is full of naivete'. but there's a difference between naivete' and an earnest willingness to engage these flawed inventions in difficult subjects.

so again, is there really more to this issue than mere capitalization of words? if so, is it a good use and investment of energy, or if you will, a good battle to choose?

i know racism is real and pernicious in 2006. but i also have seen, and see more and more every day, that it is being used these days as but one tool in the hands of a pretty small core of human beings who really could care less about skin color - so long as their visions and interests are reinforced at the end of the day. sure, they make alliances and share commons with the truly racist entities, but as with most allies of the Forbes 500, they are only used for what they're worth and they are interchangeable at will, and would be dropped like they're the hottest if/when that alliance proves unprofitable. or if those that have been the target of their expolits were to ever prove to be more profitable to work with instead of oppress/exploit.

I think I'm basically starting to side with REBORN on this. First we have to acknowledge that we have to use words to describe things. No way around that.

As such they are symbols. And as symbols we have discretion in how we use them and how we deploy them.

I'm not sure that anyone would necessarily argue that capitalizing or not capitalizing a certain word actually does anything in some immediate and concrete social or political way, but I believe that it is a valid argument to say, given that we aren't going to get around the use of words anytime soon, how can we deploy them with the greatest level of consciousness?