So, as Rachel would say, Why is this?

[greymattermom]

White people vs. People of Color.

Why not say People of White?

[HAB911]

1. Perspective is everything isn't it?

[NewJeffCT]

2. Just a guess

white only refers to the Caucasian/white race. People/persons of color refers to black, brown, Asian, etc.

I'm not excusing it, just a guess why it's done.

[brush]

5. And you would be right.

[handmade34]

3. words... oh so complicated

...what Friedrich Nietzsche called the ‘prison-house of language’. To Nietzsche and others, we are confined within our own meagre language and its presumptuous abstractions, which fall short of the real world even while they purport to describe it truthfully. Language is deemed inadequate to the world, an implausible instrument for pursuing and expressing truth.

[Greybnk48]

4. We used to say white people and black people,

back in the 70's. The term "black people" replaced "colored people" and was the proper term according to my friends. Black was a label of pride: Black power, black is beautiful, and all of the slogans that went with it.

But then, slowly, people found it offensive and it was changed to African Americans--but then, not everyone originated in Africa (at least relatively recently). So it changed to people of color.

I actually don't like "people of color." I think it serves to accentuate the whites vs. everyone/us and them mentality. We should just use a descriptor such as lighter skinned or darker complexion etc. when a description of this sort is absolutely necessary.

Maybe this is offensive too and I'm too stupid to see it. If so, I apologize and welcome a correction.