One apparent result of the Black Lives Matter protests and riots is a rush by the leftist media to capitalize the "B" in "Black," so that they can be as capitalized as Asian and Latino. But they will not extend that courtesy to the Caucasians. They'll leave "white" in lower case, since there is “less support for capitalizing 'white'” since “'[w]hite' people generally do not share the same history and culture” or “being discriminated against because of skin color.”
According to a blog on corporate policy posted on Monday by John Daniszewski, AP's vice president for standards:
AP style will continue to lowercase the term "white" in racial, ethnic and cultural senses. This decision follows our move last month to capitalize Black in such uses.
We consulted with a wide group of people internally and externally around the globe and considered a variety of commentary in making these decisions.
There was clear desire and reason to capitalize Black. Most notably, people who are Black have strong historical and cultural commonalities, even if they are from different parts of the world and even if they now live in different parts of the world. That includes the shared experience of discrimination due solely to the color of one’s skin.
There is, at this time, less support for capitalizing white. White people generally do not share the same history and culture, or the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color.
So, you get your race lowercased.....if you are the Oppressor.
Daniszewski claimed that as a global news organization, there is somehow massive "ambiguity and confusion" about who is white, and added: “We agree that 'white' people’s skin color plays into systemic inequalities and injustices, and we want our journalism to robustly explore those problems. But capitalizing the term white, as is done by white supremacists, risks subtly conveying legitimacy to such beliefs.”
He acknowledged some find this inconsistent and discriminatory, or that it implies white is the racial "default," as well as the notion that capitalizing White might help whites talk more about "race and equality."
The AP vice president then quoted the company's Stylebook, which directs writers and editors to “continue to avoid the broad and imprecise term ‘brown’ in racial, ethnic or cultural references.” Nevertheless, “If using the term is necessary as part of a direct quotation, we will continue to use the lowercase.”
The Stylebook’s race-related coverage guidance says in part: “Consider carefully when deciding whether to identify people by race. Often, it is an irrelevant factor and drawing unnecessary attention to someone’s race or ethnicity can be interpreted as bigotry.”
AP joins the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NBC News and the Chicago Tribune in announcing they'll capitalize Black and not white.
CNN, Fox News and The San Diego Union-Tribune said they will give white the uppercase
