Erasing Whiteness: Even In Black Murder Stories, Black Is Capitalized, White Lowercased
02/15/2023
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Black is capitalized. White is not. That is the protocol established for publishers by the AP Stylebook [Style Guide: Race and Ethnicity,  Center for Inclusive Academic Excellence, University of Iowa].

Why is that? The Associated Press (AP) explains:

”AP’s style is now to capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including  those in the African diaspora and within Africa. The lowercase black is a color, not a person,” explains John Daniszewski, AP’s Vice President for Standards.

”But capitalizing the term white, as is done by white supremacists, risks subtly conveying legitimacy to such beliefs,” he explained in a later post.

Apparently, ”Black” represents a race whereas ”White” would legitimize white supremacy. The conclusion: There is no white race, only white supremacy, which, of course, is nonsensical. If there is no white race, there can be no white supremacy.  

What’s more, White must never refer to a race; just a color. Black may refer to a race or it may just be a color. Ergo, the white race has been erased.

And what about black supremacy? It seems the AP is fine with that. 

[Michigan State shooter who killed 3 students, injured 5 identified as Anthony McRae, Fox News, February 15, 2023]

Most failed to notice that Anthony McRae, the 43-year-old male who killed three and wounded five at Michigan State University was black. The media failed to mention it with few exceptions.

More failed to notice that when McRae’s race was mentioned, it was capitalized. It is one more subtle way that "whiteness" is not only vanishing but it is also being replaced.

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