Comments on: We Should All Be Anti-Racism Writers

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:23:45 +0000

In reply to Sharon Hurley Hall. I didn't realize that, Sharon. Thank you. I've learned something today. :)

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 08:06:48 +0000

Happy to see you writing about this regularly, Lori. Language shifts so often that even a term that *should* be neutral, like “urban”, isn’t, for example in “urban fashion” or “urban music”.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 17:11:33 +0000

In reply to Paula Hendrickson. Good for you for realizing it, Paula. Not everyone notices.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 16:34:08 +0000

In some circles—like advertising—the term “urban” has simply replaced “inner city,” and for them the meaning remains pretty much the same. However, it seems as if people are reclaiming the word and celebrating the fact that they live, work, and play in an urban environment.

Yesterday I caught myself. A friend and his young adult son stopped by to put a trail camera in my garage (to see if any raccoons are still in there since the new roof went on). The son was diagnosed with severe mental illness when he was a little boy. He spent much of his childhood in residential care, but was released maybe five years ago. He has had a series of psychotic episodes in the past year, but has been fairly stable the past couple months. I caught myself saying my dog had acted “crazy” when my sister and some friends were here. How must that have sounded to a kid who has been labeled “crazy” since before he was even 10 years old? I was appalled at myself. I need to do better.