Black isn't bad!

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LAST WEEK, we managed, while sub-editing Mary Corbishley's article on NALGO, to add to it an expression of which she disapproves - "Black WednesThis coina re has appeared in other left ung papers, too, (Tribune, for example).

It is supported by the long-established practice of referring to days of defeat, setback or betrayal as "Black" days -Black Friday, 1925, for example.

Objection

The objection is that it is offensive to black people because it equates black with what is bad, evil, harmful.

Some would say such usage is direct product of deeply ingrained racial prejudice.

Now that sort of objection could be argued against - such usage is much older than anti-black racial prejudices, images and stereotypes, and probably has deeper psychological roots. But the objection is beside the point. Whatever the roots of such expressions, they are used now in an atmosphere saturated with racial prejudice and where part of the fight to eradicate racısm a d make the labour movement conscious of its own tacit, or sub-conscious racism is the fight against equating black, the colour of a section of the labour movement and of humanity itself, with bad.

Therefore we agree that it is best to avoid expressions which give offense and which pander to sub-conscious racism. We regret that we may have offended some of our readers.

EDITOR LAST week's photograph of Rosa Luxemburg showed her speaking from a pre-World War One Social Democratic Party platform. So of course the caption which dated it as 1918 was in error. Sorry! the story of the victimisation of Socialist Organiser supporter Alan Fraser and how the fight to defend him was sold out by the union officials. 25p plus postage from 75 Freemantle Close, Basingstoke.

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Socialist Organiser no.161 January+ 121984 Page

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BASINGSTOKE WORKERS STRIKE