In a display touting
Colonial Williamsburg’s three decades of inclusion of African-American
characters among its costumed interpreters in the restored Colonial capital of
Virginia, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation offered an explanation of
appropriate semantics and politically correct words.
The display primarily
concerned the word “slave” — a word no longer used by the interpreters playing
the roles of historical characters. Instead of “slave,” Williamsburg characters
use “enslaved” — a term preferred in much recent literature and news accounts.
“Slave,” the display on the
wall of the Raleigh Tavern explained, is a noun that refers to only one aspect
of a person. It would be wrong, therefore, to refer to a person as a slave,
because that is just a part of what a person is. (I am paraphrasing here, as I
did not copy or photograph the display). “Enslaved” is better because it is an
adjective that describes one aspect of a person, allowing the whole person to
be distinguished from the one unfortunate aspect. Therefore, “enslaved” is
better than “slave,” a noun that should not be used in referring to people.
Other common words could be
banned under this line of reasoning. A “prisoner” would become an “imprisoned
person.” A “plaintiff” in a court case would become a “complaining person.”
This elimination of a
perfectly good word for a sanitized new version is reminiscent of the shift
from “colored people” (a polite, non-offensive reference from before and during
the civil rights era) to “people of color,” an awkward term that means roughly the
same thing and often refers to all non-Caucasians. We are all people of (some)
color; we are all (somewhat) colored, so non-Caucasians might be a more
accurate term, but because it’s a negative term (what you aren’t instead of
what you are), it’s not a good choice.
Although I am a fan and
supporter of Colonial Williamsburg, I found its defense of “enslaved”
inadequate. You can’t use “slave” as an adjective? What about “slave
rebellion,” “slave quarters,” or “slave labor”?
African-American characters
walk the streets of Williamsburg in 18th century dress, perform work
in “trade” shops, display Colonial crafts and give a more accurate rendering of
Williamsburg during its heyday. Some characters are feisty, complaining of
their status in a civilization dominated by white men, or telling embarrassing
stories about their masters. None are “Stepin Fetchit” types.
Colonial Williamsburg has
done an admirable job of including African-American interpreters after having
ignored the black population of 18th century Virginia in the first
decades after the restoration of Williamsburg in the first half of the last
century (a time when state laws segregated the races).
Words have become political
rallying cries in discussions of race, gender, religion and other matters. As
political correctness took hold, we were discouraged from using terms such as
“policeman” and “fireman,” and the presiding officer at a meeting can no longer
be the “chairman.” Alternatives included “chairlady,” “chairwoman” or even
“chair,” a word originally meaning a piece of furniture, not a presiding
officer. Gender-neutral titles got so insidious that a sarcastic memo offered
this warning: “Henceforth, mailmen shall be referred to as ‘person-persons.’”
As a long-time editor, I
find most of the alternative titles and word usages are longer than the words
being replaced. “Enslaved” is a longer word that “slave.” “Firefighter” is
longer than “fireman.”
One exception to this trend is
the use of “gay” instead of “homosexual.” The original “homosexual” is a
descriptive term (same-sex), but “gay” had traditionally meant lighthearted and
carefree. This modern use of “gay” has eliminated the common expression of 50
or 60 years ago of a “gay bachelor,” meaning an unmarried man who is frivolous
and carefree.
Words matter, but words’
meanings can be a moving target. Be careful that a word’s meaning still
applies.
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