Colored facts for kids
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The word Colored (or coloured) was once used in the United States to describe African Americans. This was especially common during the Jim Crow Era, a time when laws kept Black and white people separate. Today, in many places, this word is seen as an insult. However, in Southern Africa, it has a different meaning, referring to people of mixed race.
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What Does "Colored" Mean?
The word colored has been around since the 1300s, but it didn't always refer to race. It started being used for people with darker skin in the late 1700s, especially in South America.
In the United States, the term became common in the early 1800s. After the American Civil War, when slavery ended, some formerly enslaved people even used colored as a way to show pride in their identity.
However, during the Jim Crow era, the word colored was used to mark places or things that only African Americans could use. Because of this, the word is now usually seen as offensive.
In the United Kingdom, colored generally means a person who is partly or completely not white. But like in the US, this term is now considered old-fashioned or offensive. It's better to use more specific terms for different ethnic groups.
"Colored" in the United States
In the US, colored was a widely used term for African Americans in the mid-to-late 1800s. Both white and Black Americans often accepted it. It was seen as a broad term that included people of mixed race, and sometimes even Asian Americans or other minority groups.
Many Black Americans at the time didn't want to be called "African." They felt they were no more African than white Americans were European. Instead, they preferred colored or Negro.
Later, after the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the term Negro became less popular. Many felt it was a label given to them by white people during slavery. The word black became preferred, especially by groups like the Black Power movement.
Even though colored was used less and less, some people, like Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., have shared their experiences growing up in a segregated America. He described how "colored people" lived in separate areas. He remembered not being able to eat in certain restaurants or use certain bathrooms. His mother would refuse to buy clothes she couldn't try on in stores. These stories show how deeply segregation affected daily life.
How "Colored" Was Used in Official Records
The US government used the term "colored" in its official counts. For example, the first 12 United States Census reports counted "colored" people. In 1900, about nine million people were listed as "colored." Later, from 1910 to 1960, the census used the term "negroes."
The NAACP and the Term "Colored"
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) still has "Colored People" in its full name. The organization was founded in 1909. At that time, "colored" was considered a positive way to describe Black Americans.
Today, the NAACP usually just uses its initials. In 2008, a spokesperson said that while the word "colored" is old-fashioned, it wasn't meant to be offensive when the group was formed.
"Coloured" in Southern Africa
In South Africa and nearby countries, the term Coloureds has a special meaning. It refers to a specific ethnic group of people who have mixed ancestry. Their family history might include native African groups, white Europeans, or people from Asia.
During Apartheid, a system of strict racial separation in South Africa, the government officially divided people into four main groups: Blacks, Whites, Coloureds, and Indians.
