Wokeness trumps grammar?
Wokeness trumps grammar? Columbia Journalism Review grilled for capitalizing ‘Black’ but not ‘white’ in ethnicity references
17 Jun, 2020 10:41 Get short URL
© Global Look Press / Ingo Schulz
Follow RT on The Columbia Journalism Review has received a barrage of internet scorn after attempting to justify its policy of capitalizing ‘black’ but not ‘white’, when referring to ethnicity. “Isn’t this a bit racist?” Twitter has asked.
The prestigious journal proudly acknowledged its radical style guide choice in a piece published on Tuesday. “We capitalize Black, and not white, when referring to racial groups,” the article declared, explaining that “Black is an ethnic designation; white merely describes the skin color of people who can trace their ethnic origins back to a handful of European countries.”
CJR went on to claim that the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police made its choice even more appropriate, and speculated that the Associated Press and other outlets would soon follow its example.
But as the Review took a woke victory lap, it faced a wave of negative reaction on social media. One observer stated that the capitalization policy was blatant racism and designates non-whites as “the other.”
Others noted that the policy lumps all dark-skinned people together and deprives them of their distinct national and ethnic identities – a narrow worldview often described as racist.
Author Mike Shellenberger went one step further, noting that, not only is the policy bigoted, but it’s also an affront to English grammar.
To complete the smorgasbord of criticism, one snarky commenter wondered what Martin Luther King’s famous words about equality would sound like if he had held the same views as the editors of CJR.
As the Black Lives Matter movement spreads across the world, companies, institutions and even governments have scrambled to present themselves as militantly anti-racist. But some actions, purportedly taken to show solidarity, have been characterized as overkill – Oxford University, for example, recently announced it would show leniency when grading students who claim to be traumatized by Floyd’s death.
