Black Power Salute

[Pervert]

Excellent programme on BBC4 last night about this iconic moment at the 1968 Olympics. I'm old enough to remember seeing the medal presentation and be aware of the controversy, but was too young to know what was really going on.

Highlights: Tommie Smith and John Carlos being interviewed by David Coleman shortly after the games; that toad Avery Brundage being shown for what he was; the power and influence of Mohammed Ali.

Lowlights: Frank Bough referring to the American Negro athletes.

[one eyed jack]

Ha ha...Negro. I love that word. Such a colonial term. I mean if someone went around calling white people caucasians that would be a bit odd wouldnt it?

Or chinese/ japanese folk mongoloids.

Still I forgive Frank. He didnt know better at a time when it was polite to refer to black people as "coloureds" because being called "black" was rude.

James Brown put it in perspective though with "Say it loud. I'm black and I'm proud"

Even better still it would be nice to be referred to as a person rather than a colour.

[Peter]

Wasn't negro the acceptable word at the time though?

I can see a debate in 20 years time about how the hell did we think it OK to call people "Black"?

Just as I went to school with two 'spastics', who then became 'disabled', and are now probably differently-abled. Words seem to evolve from terminology into terms of abuse, just as 'special' seems to be the latest to have gone that way.

[davey]

wankers should have kept their politics out of sport

[Jonone]

Keep an eye on the BBC4 schedule, watch the programme when it comes round again, and understand why they didn't keep their politics out of sport.

[JonnyHungwell]

Don't blacks now use the term negro in the same way they call each other nigga - as a form of greeting? They've reclaimed the word.

Some words have been expunged from the white vocabulary and replaced by sanitised versions, for most people, but round here I regularly hear old people referring to non-white people as darkies - they're still living in the 50's/60's in reality - and think the word is acceptable. I don't think it ever enters their mind to alter the way they speak, because half of their vocabulary is made up of local slang and mispronounced words.

[JonnyHungwell]

Today they would be regarded as terrorists - the black power salute was too similar to the Nazi salute for my liking. It's funny how a lot of the black power movement converted to Islam, the peaceful religion (not).

[Flat_Eric]

Peter wrote:

>>

It was. Which is why it's silly to condemn Frank Bough for uttering those words 40 years ago.


>>

I didn't realise that "black" had become "unacceptable" in the UK (apart from among those fools who insist on saying 'chalkboard' and all that nonsense).

You have "black music", "black pride", "black culture", even the "association of black police officers" ... "black" lots of things.


>>

I recall seeing an old ad from the '50s which I think was for some form of crutch or walking aid. In any event it directly addressed (ahem) "differently-abled" folk as "Cripples!"

I do find most of this PC terminology just silly - a lot of it having been coined by busybodies taking offence on someone elses' behalf.

- Eric

[Peter]

Flat_Eric wrote:


>
> I didn't realise that "black" had become "unacceptable" in the
> UK (apart from among those fools who insist on saying
> 'chalkboard' and all that nonsense).
>

> - Eric

It hasn't yet. My point is that in 20 years, it may be unacceptable, and history will condemn us all here for using it, just like Bough is being brought to task for using a perfectly acceptable word of the time.