Went out to eat with an old friend last night...
 

So I went out to eat with an old friend last night and she is talking about stopping at Habitat for Humanity. She was just talking about nothing in particular and she mentions that they just got a huge truck load of supplies in and they had two black guys unloading the truck. The weird thing is when she says this she lowers her voice at "black guys". I proceed to ask her why she lowered her voice when she said "black guys"? She tells me she doesn't want to offend anyone.

Huh? Is there any "black guys" out there that get offended by being called black? Does "black guy" have a negative connotation assigned to it? I wouldn't think a "black guy" would mind being called black any more then a "white guy" would mind being called white. Neither is truly white or black.

Just curious to know what everyone else thinks about this.

Oh you'd be surprised

Why they gotta be black rather than just you know, two guys?

If they were chinese guys I'd understand...

Hmmm...normally not. I think the question is, would she have said "two white guys" had they been white? It's not offensive (although I'm brown...not black), but the way she said it sounds kind of weird.

Yeah, I kinda thought that too but I also believe there was a little more to the conversation I just don't recall what it was exactly. Just found the hushed "black guys" was weird.

Yea...if she was trying to describe the men, it would probably be ok to say black guys. But it sounds like there was no need to be descriptive there.

She could have just said a couple of guys unloaded the truck.

Did you sex her up?

It's not racist, it's just stupid. It's not like she categorically identified them as having specific traits simply because they were, or insinuated that they were somehow inferior or less because of their skin color. But there was no need to point it out. If it had been two white guys, would she have specified that?

Again, not racist...just stupid.

What kind of supplies?

She said paint and insulation I think.

:D

Were the guys anywhere around at the time? I could see it if they were, wanting to describe them without them overhearing and thinking your talkin smack. Same way you point out to a buddy the girl with the "big boobs" or "ass" in whisper voice.

Which Habitat?