AN UPDATE: Regarding the thread this morning about the use of the word "Negro" at work

[tcfrogs]

Original thread:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220724367

Appreciate the kind support of all here along with your recommendations and suggestions! Don’t have time to respond to each of you, was just kinda venting for some feedback. For a small bit of background, I work for a mid-sized company of 300-400 people in a couple buildings on our sort-of campus. My division doesn’t directly interact with everyone at the company, but I do conduct periodic presentations to large groups, which is probably how the complaining party recognized who I was.

Had my meeting with my supervisor (the vice-president of our department) and the head of Human Resources this afternoon. There will be no disciplinary action taken against me, however they’re going to hold onto the communications and notes from our meeting for maybe 4 to 6 weeks. The complainant was very angry about my use of the word Negro in any context, even when it was explained that it was a reference to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. She (the HR director Sara slipped and revealed the gender) told HR that they considered themselves to be “very” politically correct regarding any “offensive” language used in any setting much less an office, and would be perhaps consulting with the local ACLU, community activists, and or a lawyer. Note: The HR director Sara used the air quotes as emphasis when using as I indicated above.

I guess the reason that HR and my boss will be holding on temporarily is just to cover their butts in case this were to develop further legally. They really don’t think anything will come to fruition, and are completely on my side. My usage of the word Negro was absolutely proper in its context. Neither of my co-workers are a lawyer nor am I so this should be taken with slight caution, but in essence this silly issue will likely disappear unless there is any litigation.

They would not disclose who made the complaint, nor do I really need to know. Just wish I could explain the proper context of using the word Negro (The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum or the United Negro College Fund) perhaps others to educate them on proper usage. It certainly wasn’t a slur, because I would never ever do such a thing.

Sigh, hopefully this will pass. Such adventures and fun in the workplace.

[WarGamer]

1. Some people are just too senitive... especially in a rock solid case like this.

If I was in HR, I'd fire her for harassment.

[slightlv]

47. I don't know about firing her, but I'd definitely

use the opportunity as a learning experience for her, complete with images such as you've used here!

[sdfernando]

49. I think that is going to far

Q single complaint doesn't rise to harassment level.

Oversensitivety? ...sure but that can be corrected. Likey was a young person not exposed or educated in some of the fine organizations that promote African American accomplishments.

This is a teaching opportunity.

[Prairie Gates]

2. ...

She (the HR director Sara slipped and revealed the gender) told HR that they considered themselves to be “very” politically correct regarding any “offensive” language used in any setting much less an office, and would be perhaps consulting with the local ACLU, community activists, and or a lawyer.

Naaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[tcfrogs]

7. I agree that this won't go much further

But one never knows in this day and age. Sorry for the cliche, but this whole innocuous situation has been a bit unnerving for the past 24 hours.

[Prairie Gates]

13. Oh, it's all been very embarrassing, to be sure

[Keepthesoulalive]

14. People are ignorant and mean

I am familiar with the word and all its variations and you said nothing wrong. The person is a drama queen and wanted to be offended. For what it’s worth this black lady has your back. Oh did I say lady someone may be offended. Good luck

[BeerBarrelPolka]

16. I think

Your HR department needs an education and a major talking to.

[sir pball]

62. HR sounds like they're doing everything right.

Noting the complaint, recording it, and appropriately dismissing it.

Now, if the woman complaining finds a way to escalate it (not that I think she can, nobody with two functioning brain cells to bang together would have a problem with this), HR absolutely should go nuclear push back, and retaining records is the most basic step for that.

[canetoad]

18. I don't understand

How people can make rods for their own backs like this. Must be a fraught life, being that sensitive to perceived transgression of her particular moral code.

[3Hotdogs]

33. Sara and the VP need to take a field trip to Walmart and see if they can get a discount on the purchase of

two backbones.

[Pacifist Patriot]

43. Sara and the VP are doing things correctly...

That will protect both the OP and the company. Due process, even in ridiculous situations like these, is necessary these days.

[3Hotdogs]

59. I disagree. When something that assholic is the subject of a complaint, the official

should thank the lady for expressing her concern and point out why the use of the term, negro, is not a racial slur.

A complaint of this nature should not be rewarded beyond an acknowledgment of its being received.

-- Protecting the company - Do you think a lawyer would waste time in pursuit of nonsense and with no hope of a percentage of a settlement?

[sir pball]

63. All complaints in a company need an official investigation and response.

As you say, a complaint of this nature only deserves acknowledgement–but in an HR structure, which I have unfortunately been a part of, "acknowledgement" requires a trail of "the complaint was made, the complaint was investigated, no further action"…it can't just be "yeah, we got your complaint, thanks" for hopefully obvious reasons.

[3Hotdogs]

71. We re in agreement with this.

In this case, however, "No further action" is being carried over for a month or two. I don't care who the employee is. Now s/he has 45 days of anxiety. Probably not much anxiety, but still.


I'm 83 years old, so I ain't working nowhere for nobody. But I wish I was H.R. at that company. I would not reward somebody's stupidity with a cookie and "That's alright dear, we'll take care of it. We'll speak to ... and make sure this doesn't happen again"

AND, I wouldn't waste a vp's time on bullshit.

Of course, I wouldn't be H.R. for very long but I would go home with a smile on my face.


P.S., I was safety manager at the company I worked for. I do know about documenting stuff.

[cab67]

88. Our country is too litigious to allow that.

If the complainant isn’t satisfied that the situation was investigated, she could sue for a hostile work environment.

She would almost certainly lose, but it would eat up a lot of the company’s time and probably a fair bit of money to defend.

I agree that this particular complaint was frivolous, but the courts are full of frivolity these days.

[Disaffected]

3. Your co-worker sounds like

a nitwit busybody sniffing around for something to be indignant about.

[Hotler]

52. A back stabber. nt

[malaise]

4. The complainant is an ignorant

ahole who should study sports history in general and segregation in baseball in particular.
The Negro Leagues are the Negro Leagues - QED

[tcfrogs]

9. I tried, at least to my boss and HR n/t

[BeerBarrelPolka]

17. Your HR

lady needs to be shit canned. She should know better and should have shut this down immediately.

[Pacifist Patriot]

44. That's not how it works.

The complainant won't get anywhere, but for the protection of both the OP and the employer, there is due process necessary to resolve employee relations issues. That is important de-escalation. It sucks for the educated, but keeps things from spinning out in the long run.

[sir pball]

64. It sounds like she did "shut this down immediately"...

No repercussions at all to OP, and only retaining records in case of a lawsuit by Progressive Karen.

What more do you feel they should have done–disciplined the complainant?

[BeerBarrelPolka]

69. She

She should have told the complainant that the word Negro is absolutely not a slur. If HR doesn't realize that, they need to be fired ASAP.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. The Negro League Was Founded By Rube Foster

Rube was a great player, a baseball mastermind and a whiz at business & marketing.
Oh, and he was a black man.
I doubt he named the league that to offend his players, his customers & himself.

[Abolishinist]

55. My father was in a minor league farm club of the Yankees, circa 1940.

He often told the story of a game they played against a Negro League team. Satchel Paige was pitching, and he 'purposely' threw the ball to hit him, forcing a walk. As he was batting 4th he took it in stride, never had a bad word to say about him, seemed to consider it an honor.

And then came WWII, he joined the Navy, and I've always wondered had the war not happened if he would have made it to the majors.

[ProfessorGAC]

73. Satchel!

Guy was a 110 and still pitching in the majors.
Those teams missed out on a great talent with that stupid "gentlemen's" agreement.

[Irish_Dem]

5. I consider this harassment and ridiculous.

None of it passes the smell test.

Have you angered some folks in your company?
Or is this person unbalanced?

None of it makes any sense.

When someone's behavior doesn't match the actual event,
then there is usually something else going on.

[intheflow]

20. A LOT of young people think "negro" is a slur.

It's not, any more than calling Black folk "colored." I worked with an elderly Black gentleman for some time about a decade ago. He always referred to himself as colored, as he grew up with that phrase and then was forced by society to change it to African Americans and then to Black Americans. He particularly hated the term African American, because he'd never set foot in Africa.

But to young, especially white young people on the left, they've been told over and over not to say the n-word, and I honestly think many of them think negro is a variation of the n-word. I agree with the response, above, that the complainer should be forced to get some education as to the history of the Negro Baseball League and other language used over the years to describe them by both Blacks and whites.

I hope she does consult the ACLU. They'll laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it!

[Irish_Dem]

29. You have answered my question in part.

The person is ignorant and uneducated.

But in addition she is unhinged.
To threaten to go to various organizations, hire an attorney is ridiculous
and over the top.

I am telling you that something is not right here.

[3catwoman3]

37. "They'll laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it!"

They certainly should.

[FakeNoose]

46. Some white people can use the word "negro" innocently, while others can say it with a tone of voice

... that makes the word sound like a racial slur. I really believe a person's tone of voice can make the difference.

On the other hand black folks are also able to do the same thing, they sometimes use their tone of voice to make an otherwise innocent word, sound like a racial slur.

Seeing the word on paper doesn't denote the tone, and I think that's where HR's own judgment comes into play.

[Jack Valentino]

61. Actually I think the N-word is a racist variation of the word 'negro'...

I never used the term 'coloreds', used the word 'blacks' in my youth,
and in my latter years have tried to use the term "African Americans"
since I have thought that was considered 'proper' on the left---

but you say about this particular person,
"He particularly hated the term African American, because he'd never set foot in Africa"....


so what am I supposed to call Americans of African Heritage??

Perhaps "AMERICANS of African Heritage" !!! (AAH) ?


I WILL call them AMERICANS! first....

[intheflow]

70. They are Black people.

Or, if you prefer, Black Americans. While it’s true they are Americans first, it’s also true that we aren’t a colorblind nation. Calling them “African Americans” implies they are African before they are Americans. Calling them Black recognizes their color, and acknowledges a widely shared background of diaspora and kidnapping. This is different from white people claiming to be Italian Americans, or Irish, or whatever, because being white, they know their heritage, and share a European identity, so are able to pass as “true” Americans in Confederate circles. We rarely say Nigerian American or Kenyan American, for example, and if we do, we’re referring to people who immigrated here post-Civil War.

Edited to add: the n-word may have been derived from negro, but that’s not the same as being a variation of the term. Negro literally means black in Spanish, so it’s a legit descriptor with roots in the European romantic languages.

[sop]

78. Etymology of the Spanish word "negro":

The Spanish word "negro" comes from the Latin adjective "niger," which means "black or dark." In Spanish "negro" is a neutral word for the color black. In most Spanish-speaking countries a black person simply refers to himself as "un negro," or "una negra" if a woman.

The Portuguese, who started the transatlantic slave trade, were the first to use the term "negro" (or preto) for anyone with a dark skin. The Spanish, who also imported African slaves, used the term "negro" to refer to any dark-skinned people subject to enslavement. The term "negro" became part of legal records and codes about forced servitude, as in Spain's Código Negro in 1789.

[Jack Valentino]

89. But 'African' is a race, not a nationality.

Africa is a continent, not a country. In any case, I'd prefer to call them what most of them want to be called by white people....

[carpetbagger]

6. Turn the tables.

Get a letter from the Negro League Baseball Museum or a similar organization saying that "Negro Leagues" is appropriate terminology, then file a complaint that you're only allowed to discuss white and not black baseball leagues at work. Then graciously accept the apology when offered.

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems that you need to balance the chit sheet here to reflect that this incident was them acting like asses.

[GJGCA]

19. Better yet, make a donation...

..to the Museum, show off the thank you letter...?

[Joinfortmill]

30. Good one.

[Renew Deal]

31. This is a good idea

Regardless of whether they will show the letter.

[calimary]

85. Good idea!

[MichMan]

8. Sometimes it is hard to keep up.

Negro, at one time, was the correct dictionary nomenclature, as was Caucasian. Then, when I was growing up in the late 60's ,early 70's, the term in common usage was black. That was replaced by African American. Then Black returned, but with a capital B.

[tcfrogs]

10. That's what I mentioned in the original post

For goodness sake the folks who put together the museum certainly didn't name it the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in order to be offensive.

[markodochartaigh]

28. In the US,

caucasian is often used synonymously with White, which it is not, especially considering that White is a completely non-scientific term whose meaning varies radically depending upon the country or area of the country. In the US race, ethnicity, national origin, and color are all muddled up, just as communist, socialist, leftist, "Democrat", are all muddled up. Almost seems like ignorance is the goal when leading sheeple.

[Delarage]

11. Sounds absurd

But it reminded me of this hilarious episode of Blackish.

?si=IoWluCKOvJ5GoXy7

[Renew Deal]

32. lol

[Oeditpus Rex]

35. 'The N-word' (that identifier, not the word itself)

has always struck me as a way a small child would put it, or their (progressive) parents or a teacher. I don't think I've ever used ìt, for that reason. When writing, I'll use blanks ("n____r&quot or asterisks, especially in a direct quote. Spoken, "a common racial slur" or something like that.

My more-radical side doesn't understand why we're afraid of words, whether this one or "fuck" (I also dislike "F-bomb&quot . But, I've never been prepared to defend or even discuss that. To the contrary, I could argue it against myself, and I'd beat me. But I'd rather not do that at the moment.

[DET]

67. I Loved That Show

Brilliant writing. Great acting; the twins were absolutely adorable and the veteran actors who played the grandparents were hilarious and poignant at the same time.. Unfortunately, I stopped watching during Trump’s first run for the Presidency, when MSNBC became a rare source of reason and sanity. I should have stuck with the show.

[barbtries]

12. Someone should advise her

to check with the NAACP, or perhaps look up https://www.nlbm.com/about/

sounds like a person who cannot admit when they're wrong. I don't see her getting any traction in trying to make people agree with her aggrievement.

context is everything.

[AllaN01Bear]

15. dont you have the right to face your accuser ?

i hate it when people do that . and never tell me .hem.

[Pacifist Patriot]

45. It's tricky in the workplace.

Last edited Thu Oct 16, 2025, 09:52 PM - Edit history (1)

It's not the same as a court of law. But neither is anonymity a 100% right or guarantee. Employee relations is not for the faint of heart. And wildly misunderstood by folks who don't have to navigate it.

[AllaN01Bear]

48. thanks for your insight. good luck

got fingers crossed for thee?

[sir pball]

65. As someone with management experience...no.

Especially with discrimination claims.

I've always been fine with telling someone "someone has an issue with you but it's not your fault" and defusing it (ofc telling the complainant to STFU), rather than say, telling a Black guy "this Latino cook has a problem with you because of your race"…even though we ended up firing the Latino for being racist as fuck against "los negritos"

[Auggie]

21. I bet she'll reveal her identity to you directly or indirectly ...

in the way you interact. Though body language, a terse response, a glance, a sneer, etc. But if you don't need to know perhaps you won't be looking for any signs in particular.

Sorry to hear you had to go through that.

[Bobstandard]

22. The complainant "swatted" the OP

Whether through ignorance or malice, the result is the same. OP has cause of action and should let HR et al know that an apology to OP from complainant is the minimal response the company should require. Termination for malice should be on the table.

Anonymous denunciations are just another stage in the movement towards totalitarianism. And remember, the justification for a lot of Trumpist overreach is to weed out antisemitism. As the Young Republican group chat proves, that’s just cover. They’re using charges of racism in the same way. So this is more sinister than it seems.

[unblock]

54. Let's not be hasty or overly harsh on the complainant

Unless I'm missing something, the complainant may not have had the full context, and in any event was concerned that the comments may have been inappropriate anyway.

To be clear, I agree giving the full context that there seems to be no problem, but that doesn't mean the complainant was wrong to question it. In the long run, employers want such matters brought up and resolved quickly, and liberal-minded people should want such matters resolved to ensure the work environment is not hostile to minorities and women.

If she didn't hear the full context, it's entirely reasonable for her to have a legitimate concern that the comments were creating a hostile work environment.


Having said that, I also won't dismiss the possibility you raise, that she has it in for the o.p., maybe even understood that there was nothing offensive yet took the opportunity to harass the o.p. I used to work on Wall Street so I know crap like that happens!

[Bev54]

79. The fact that the complainant threatened further action, after the context was explained, suggests

that this person is not innocently reporting a legitimate concern but rather has a different agenda. Instead of admitting a misunderstanding and perhaps apologizing instead is looking for a fight. Nothing innocent about this person.

[unblock]

80. I'm not dismissing the possibility of bad intent on her part, but

I'm also allowing for the facts that we only have one side of the story and don't know exactly what she heard, observed, or maybe legitimately misheard.

If she is trying to create a zero tolerance, context-free standard, I'm not on board with that. And I'm certainly not on board if she just has it in for the o.p. and is using this incident as a pretext. And yes, either or both of those may be exactly what is going on. Having said that, my general recommendation is to give a wide berth to such topics entirely. Not that the o.p. should get in any trouble because of it, but I'd advise anyone in the workplace to just avoid such words or topics entirely, this whole story shows that it can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary wastes of time, best to just steer clear entirely.

[soldierant]

23. It sure seems to me that the racist here

is the person who wants to suppress Black History.

I kind of hope that she does go to the ACLU. They probably need a good laugh as much as any of us.

[JoseBalow]

24. Probably wouldn't be hard to track down who she is, if you wanted to.

That's the sort of performative outrage that people like to scurry back to their social media corners with, to bask in the confirmation bias accolades of their peeps.

[Grim Chieftain]

25. They need to be held accountable for this

You did nothing wrong, they did. You might want to contact a legal aid society to see what your options are. I'm not you, but if it was me, I would not give this a pass.

Best to you, tcfrogs. Please keep us posted.

[aggiesal]

26. This is why Liberals get a bad rap. We have to be politically correct, ...

even when it is appropriate to use such a word.

[Keepthesoulalive]

38. I don't think they are liberal

I think they are just stupid attention seekers.

[Joinfortmill]

27. So sorry this happened to you.

[DownriverDem]

36. Since it's still

called that, I don't see how he/she taking it higher makes much sense.

[sinkingfeeling]

39. The US Census used the term as a race selection until recently.

Based on successful previous testing, the term “Negro” was removed from the 2020 Census by updating the category “Black, African Am., or Negro” to “Black or African Am.” on paper questionnaires and “Black or African American” on electronic instruments.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2021/08/improvements-to-2020-census-race-hispanic-origin-question-designs.html

[AZJonnie]

40. I would be unsurpised if it were a white person who'd been reprimanded in the past

for using the word inappropriately (unlike yourself) and who was aware you were a liberal, and sought to 'get you in trouble' over it.

I mean, sure, it's *possible* it was an African American woman who was legitimately offended, but I'd put the odds of that slightly lower than it being someone who just likes to be childish/cause trouble

Sorry you're having to deal with that The words colored and negro were the politically correct terms of the time, embraced by most black folks as preferable to other alternatives. Hence UNCF, NAACP, etc. And they absolutely do not meet the criteria of being "unutterable in any circumstance" (by a non-black person). Similar to Eskimo, Oriental and Indian. They are of course impolite (and in some contexts highly offensive) to use in today's world to refer to said persons, but that doesn't make them verboten when used to describe historic entities which utilized them.

[Pacifist Patriot]

42. You'll be fine!

Head of HR here. This has no legs. I'm sure your HR person is rolling her eyes and sighing heavily over her chardonnay at dinner tonight. 😉

[ms liberty]

50. HR is practicing CYA but isn't worried. You should not be either.

The ACLU, any lawyer, and any activist organization is going to laugh this ridiculous Karen out of their office.

[Pacifist Patriot]

53. If by CYA...

You mean following employee relations best practices in order to protect both the OP and the company, then yes.

If by CYA, you mean her own butt, then no.

This is a silly complaint that won't go anywhere, but HR has to take silly complaints seriously precisely to ensure they don't go anywhere.

[ms liberty]

58. CYA means HR is covering their company's butt legally by "holding on to" the paperwork

In case a future event necessitates it be revisited. From the sound of it, they knew it was ridiculous too, but they have to document everything.
I wa in the Finance Dept. of a large corporation and I'm a paralegal. Before that I was management in the hotel industry and managed people, my least favorite thing ever. I've been in the meetings, and I know where HR'S ultimate concerns are. I don't have any issues with an HR department or staff, but HR also is going to put the company first and follow the applicable laws if they're above board. No one should think otherwise.
I'm retired now; there's no way to overstate how happy that makes me I've loved my work and I don't necessarily hate corporations, but I really hated working for a corporation.

[BradBo]

51. What a wild story. Trumps Nazi Army has made all of us super paranoid.

[LoisB]

56. Some people have nothing better to do than create an issue where none exists.

[kevinbgoode1]

57. This awful situation reminds me of an episode of "Blackish" nearly a decade ago. . .

First, I think you are right and certainly should be in the clear - the use of a proper and official title has no basis for discipline. Seems to me the offended person should air her complaints with the museum if she doesn't like the use of that word in their title.

It also reminds me of a small incident I had while teaching several years ago. I announced that I was giving an open-book quiz in the class, and I noticed that not a single student had brought a textbook - and a few of them were looking around to see if any of their classmates may have one (which they didn't). I made the mistake of saying "well, I guess you are all handicapped taking this quiz, since no one brought a book." Everyone but one student knew what I meant in the context, (and the Oxford dictionary clearly agrees) but the one student went all the way up the ladder demanding I be disciplined for maligning the disabled. I had to attend a meeting and apologize.

Anyway, the first few minutes of this video are about the use of the "N" word in that episode. There are a few swear words as well, but they bleeped them out, along with the "N" word - well, the more derisive slang term. At the time it aired (and in streaming) the episode only bleeped the "N" word but not the swearing - the producer, i believe, thought that method actually gave the meaning more power.

&t=4s

[sir pball]

60. The complainant isn't going to get very far "consulting with" people.

The ACLU is going to laugh her out of their office, I can't imagine any lawyer would risk their license for this, and I personally don't know any "community activists" (and I do know several) who would touch this.

It sounds like HR and upper management is in your corner, and frankly…if this woman does actually find a lawyer to support her, and makes this difficult, your company should go scorched earth on her. Some people need to learn the hard way.

[electric_blue68]

66. Sorry this person got offended, and made a complaint about to HR about you, who

used the proper term in accordance with their institution.

Firing her would be too harsh... unless maybe she tries to go scorched earth on you. Hopefully not; her being dimissed by anyone she approaches for further actions.

Good Luck!

[misanthrope]

68. What an utterly asinine complaint

Garbage like this helps no one.

[Happy Hoosier]

72. OOF. We need to really work on this.

Look.... I advocate sensitivity. I try to avoid the use of offensive terms in a modern context as much as possible.

But there are times where doing so completely can distort history. My wife is a Victorian Lit scholar. Guess what? They often use terms that we consider offensive today. To avoid them would be to put a gloss on history that is just inaccurate. For example, they called Roma people "Gypsies" in this time period. They just did.

I do living history... a War of 1812 frontiersman in Indiana. When IN CHARACTER as a frontiersman, I refer to the Native Americans as Indians. I cannot bring myself to use the term "savages," But my character is a trader who is friendly with the natives and probably wouldn't call them that. Calling them Natives would not give an accurate picture of what white people were doing to the Natives in this part of the country at that time. When I am OUT of character, I do use the modern preferred term. Though the Native camp, which is usually next to mine often uses the term Indian too... and they are all Natives.

Context matters. It's also why "color blind casting" in an historical show bothers me. It give a false impression of historical inclusivity that makes it easy to gloss over the injustices of the past, and to ignore the fact that minorities and oppressed peoples have their OWN stories that are worth telling and hearing. And it can mask ACTUAL inclusivity.

Rant off.

[Boo1]

74. Calling the ACLU???

I'd love to hear that conversation.

[Reader Rabbit]

75. Tell HR that your entire team should take a trip to the museum.

Or maybe them a couple of tickets to give to the complainer as a "reward."

Anyone who complained about this is someone who has never studied history. HR should have asked the individual who Josh Gibson was, and if they couldn't answer, then dismiss their complaint.

[rampartd]

76. i was at dept of navy specing sonar transducers from a company called "massa teledyne"

googled "massa" and got some weird returns, one of which looked so weird that i clicked on it.

turned out to be fiction involving slaves begging their "massa" not to beat them and such. i clicked back quickly and went back to work. forget all about it for a few days until the boss came in "the captain wants to see us." sensitivity training and a "mark on my permanent record."

that is how i discovered that our computers were monitored.

[MuseRider]

77. Good luck.

It has been called that as long as I have been alive I would suppose because I have heard it all my life. This is just crazy. I understand the use of that word could feel really offensive and would never use it in any other place but I seem to remember there was some call to change it. If so it would be interesting to find out because this is an issue that needs solving if it is not OK.

Go to their website and contact Greg Carroll, his info is on their web page. He is the big shot there and a very nice man.

[live love laugh]

81. There is zero context needed for the word negro. Totally absurd.

[rurallib]

82. Thanks so much for letting us know

[SpankMe]

83. At a former workplace of mine,

a white person who is "proud of their European background" complained about use of the word "gringo" that someone used to describe a tame version of Tex-Mex chili (i.e., gringo chili - which is not an common description). It, too, went nowhere. But, it looks like people are more and more clueless about what constitutes racism and are just reacting to anything they hear.

[1WorldHope]

84. That was an over reaction and gives political correctness a bad name.

[PatrickforB]

86. Yeah I read a few years ago about someone who used the word 'niggling' in conversation

and ended up branded as a racist.

Now, 'niggling' is actually a word and that word has NOTHING to do with African American or black people.

The Oxford Dictionary defines it as an adjective that refers to things "causing slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety."

One time years ago, I drove three hours to speak at a community college in my state about choosing a career path. I was telling a story and this lady got all offended because I referred to my wife and a lady she had grown up with as 'the girls hashed over old memories, while the husbands (me and the other woman's husband) got to know each other.

She was an older woman, and she took every kind of cogent point I was trying to HELP students with down by calling me on the carpet for about 20 minutes about how my use of the word 'girl' in that context. I said 'bye,' walked out and have refused to EVER speak at that college EVER AGAIN. Hell, if they have to bring in therapy dogs because some innocuous choice of words offended somebody, then I have no place for them because I'm busy.

And heads-up, the corporate culture here in this capitalist utopia we call America has gotten really toxic. HR is sneaky. I got in a wrangle with another employee a couple decades ago and an investigation was made WITHOUT me being able to even respond and I was demoted as a result.

So, when it comes to HR, my trust level in those lizards is BELOW ZERO, and as to our college system, where the hell is the REALITY here? Because if some asshole at work criticizes me for talking about the Negro baseball league if it is ever appropriate in the context of my work, they will be hearing real quick from my lawyer, who is vicious.

There is a lot to be said for the pushback against political correctness and cancel culture. While I do not advocate verbiage that is known to offend people, let's be realistic and cut each other a bit of common-sense slack.

[BaronChocula]

87. Just read the initial post

Unfuckingbelievable. Just don't tell anyone at your job what NAACP stands for. Hoping this all blows over, but I can't believe you have to work with these people.