The decision is controversial and should be, with publications such as The New York Times saying it is the correct one even as the National Association of Black Journalists supports capitalization of “white.” CBS News plans capitalization, although not when referring to white supremacists, white nationalists or white privilege.
Consider that voter and other records classify white people officially as a group. And the U.S. Census asks people if they are white, classifying the category as “all individuals who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. These groups include, but are not limited to, German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Polish, French, Iranian, Slavic, Cajun, and Chaldean.”
An important question for journalists amid the changes is referencing Blacks as African Americans, a long-standing practice. AP recognizes the reference is used but says it may be inaccurate: “Negro fell out of fashion with the Black Power movement of the 1960s, coming to symbolize subservience. African American was often used, but is not always accurate — some Black people don’t trace their lineage to Africa.”
Replacing white with Caucasian would be equally inaccurate as Caucasian is defined as “a white person; a person of European origin.” As noted, some whites are not of European origin.
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