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Why Do We Capitalize the “B” in Black but not the “W” in White?
Providing space for Black Americans to reclaim their roots
The Associated Press guidelines on word usage state that when a writer is referring to Black people in a racial, cultural or ethnic sense, the “B” should be capitalized.
But when it comes to white people, we don’t capitalize the “w.” WTF? With a capital W.
This follows similar guidelines across most media outlets, although not surprisingly, more conservative ones opt to stick with capital W for White to describe that “ethnic group.” Oh, Fox News.
I digress.
This capital B in Black usage “when referring to (and out of respect for) the Black diaspora” came at the urging of the National Association of Black Journalists.
While nobody should lose any sleep over these seemingly inconsistent standards for a mere word, doesn’t it seem a bit odd and maybe even unfair to white folks?
Don’t white people count as much as Black people? You know, that All Lives Matter stuff.
The thing is, Black reflects a shared sense of identity and community. They have shared life experiences. A sense of belonging and comraderie.
