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Should "Ethnic Minority" be Replaced with "Global Majority"?


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In recent years, many organizations and the UK government have moved away from using the acronym BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic). While terms like "ethnic minority" and "people of color" are still commonly used, a new term has started gaining traction—"people of the global majority." This phrase refers to individuals who are “Black, Asian, brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and/or have been racialized as 'ethnic minorities'” and who represent roughly 80% of the global population, according to educator and activist Rosemary Campbell-Stephens, who coined the term.

 

The concept of a "global majority" challenges the narrative of ethnic minorities by highlighting the fact that non-white people make up the vast majority of the world's population. This shift in terminology has sparked discussions, especially during observances like Black History Month in the UK. One prominent campaigner, Donna Ali, founder of BE.Xcellence, a community interest company focused on improving representation for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people in leadership roles in Wales, supports the term but acknowledges that it has both advantages and disadvantages.

 

"It speaks to unity, it gives you prominence, and I think it helps us feel not less than," said Donna. She expressed that the word “minority” can make people feel diminished, as though they are lesser when, in fact, they are numerically greater. On the other hand, she noted that grouping such a wide range of people under one term could be problematic. “What it says to me is ‘them and us,’ and I hate that,” she explained. She worries that the term could create unnecessary divides between groups, categorizing people as either Black and brown or white, which she finds counterproductive.

 

Author and academic Darren Chetty also sees both sides of the debate. He appreciates the way the term reframes people of color as the majority, rather than the minority, which can be empowering. “That can have, I guess, a psychological boost to people,” he said, explaining that it can also draw attention to the absence of people of color in spaces where they are underrepresented. However, Chetty also pointed out that the term does not address issues of racialization and risks treating people of color as a homogenous group. He argued that lumping everyone together under "global majority" could lead to “being in the room privilege”—where one person of color is asked to speak for a diverse and varied group, without acknowledging the important distinctions among them.

 

The criticisms of "global majority" mirror those that have been leveled at BAME in recent years. The UK government officially stopped using the term in 2022 after the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities found that it lumped different ethnic groups together in an overly simplistic way. The government now prefers specific ethnic classifications where possible and uses "ethnic minorities" or "people from ethnic minority backgrounds" when grouping is necessary.

 

The term “people of the global majority” was introduced by Rosemary Campbell-Stephens through her work to diversify leadership in London schools. It has since been adopted by several organizations, including the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), which dropped terms like BAME, Bipoc (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), and ethnic minorities in favor of "global majority." According to the NCVO, they made the switch because many people now find these older terms outdated and problematic. National Museums Liverpool also adopted the term, stating that it felt “more reflective and more empowering.”

 

As the term "global majority" continues to gain momentum, it raises important questions about how society views and discusses race. While it offers a new way to understand racial identity on a global scale, it also highlights the challenge of finding language that acknowledges both unity and diversity. Whether or not this term will replace existing ones like "ethnic minority" remains to be seen, but it certainly adds a new dimension to the ongoing conversation about race, identity, and representation.

 

Based on a report from the BBC 2024-10-22

 

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1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

There are only 2 cultures white and non-white.

Funny how the wokes want a million different sexes but only two cultures.

Wrong. You mean there's only two colors, white and non-white. Bu when it comes to culture pretty much every nation on this planet has its own culture. Take the white population of France and Germany for example, both white, but very different culture....

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Last time I went to London, it felt more like Bangladesh. Really, IBIS Whitechapel was next to a mosque and all the local shops sold Eastern food, which was great. 

Even though I'm white, I felt like a minority. 

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5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

There are only 2 cultures white and non-white.

Funny how the wokes want a million different sexes but only two cultures.

What an amazingly ignorant and uneducated statement. Culture is not based on the colour of your skin. Travel a bit more. Learn something.

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4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Last time I went to London, it felt more like Bangladesh. Really, IBIS Whitechapel was next to a mosque and all the local shops sold Eastern food, which was great. 

Even though I'm white, I felt like a minority. 

Same for me, I was staying in a flat near Kensington Gardens, all the other flats had people with Hispanic names, in the park and shops all non whites, lots of Persians, even Thai lady boys in the park.

No obvious Muslims though.

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1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Same for me, I was staying in a flat near Kensington Gardens, all the other flats had people with Hispanic names, in the park and shops all non whites, lots of Persians, even Thai lady boys in the park.

No obvious Muslims though.

 

I always enjoyed that area. But I haven't been there since 1989.

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6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

That's because you are.

 

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I live in deepest Surrey and this place is changing fast.

I use the post office often and there are often many africans frustrating the counter workers with their mistake ridden visa and passport applications.

Heartbreaking which is why I'm getting out ASAP.

 

Slightly OT but western whites have been force fed 'DIVersity' for decades via pop culture social engineering as my man Wyvern points out

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, jcmj said:

I bet there are many people out there waiting to play the minority card and get what has been given away to other global majorities. 

 

It's called the victimhood olympics.

 

If you wanna go for gold or just get your head around the competition this is a handy guide:

 

 

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3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

It’s the new Marxism, but instead of class, it’s race. 

 

Whites are the oppressors, nonwhites are the oppressed. 

 

 

Maybe the controllers prefer lower IQ races - easier to coral & control and completely unaware of 'human rights'

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Those of Chinese descent being grouped together with those of African descent. Ah, but are they Chin, Han, Naturalized or conquered? Do Egyptians see themselves as DRC people do? After all, they're African right? Ah <deleted>. Everything has to be clarrified and classified.

 

Scots don't really like to be reminded they're part of the UK, so I read in an article about locally grown food in M&S.... Good grief. 

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Never understood the 'label' thing, probably because I was raised in a mixed hood, and we all got along well.  Our parents were bigots, but somehow myself & neighborhood peers were not.  

 

Even more so than the almost non-existent 'local' racial divide, we literally lived on the 'other side' of the tracks, and a slight imaginary economic  divide.  Though reality, most of our houses were detached with decent yards, not twins.  Having 2 black students in a high school graduating class of 235 students, and I was the only 'nig ger' lover, as both were good friends of mine, one my next door neighbor.  We use to walk to school together.

 

When I meet people that use labels, I pretty much have learned not to be their friends, and why I have so few.    Along with ignoring most posts on AN.  Aside from the racial bigots, the nationalism on here is a surprise.   As you'd think people that traveled, wouldn't be so ignorant.

 

Humans are a disgusting species, as prejudice & hatred is a learned trait, not an instinct.  We, the dippy hippie crowd thought the world would be a better place in the future, it's not, and in some aspects, much worse.

 

Damn embarrassing :coffee1:

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25 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Never understood the 'label' thing, probably because I was raised in a mixed hood, and we all got along well.  Our parents were bigots, but somehow myself & neighborhood peers were not.  

 

Even more so than the almost non-existent 'local' racial divide, we literally lived on the 'other side' of the tracks, and a slight imaginary economic  divide.  Though reality, most of our houses were detached with decent yards, not twins.  Having 2 black students in a high school graduating class of 235 students, and I was the only 'nig ger' lover, as both were good friends of mine, one my next door neighbor.  We use to walk to school together.

 

When I meet people that use labels, I pretty much have learned not to be their friends, and why I have so few.    Along with ignoring most posts on AN.  Aside from the racial bigots, the nationalism on here is a surprise.   As you'd think people that traveled, wouldn't be so ignorant.

 

Humans are a disgusting species, as prejudice & hatred is a learned trait, not an instinct.  We, the dippy hippie crowd thought the world would be a better place in the future, it's not, and in some aspects, much worse.

 

Damn embarrassing :coffee1:

Excellent post @KhunLA. In my family, we have multiple races, nationalities, cultures and religions. My own children are of mixed race, one has a partner of mixed English/Jamaican parentage.

 

It’s amazing how many foreigners live in Thailand but still hang on to their bigoted prejudices.

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1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

Excellent post @KhunLA. In my family, we have multiple races, nationalities, cultures and religions. My own children are of mixed race, one has a partner of mixed English/Jamaican parentage.

 

 

Same here. Multiple races and backgrounds. My best mate growing up was half Bangladeshi. We never discussed it other than when his Mum cooked me dinner and I had no idea what it was. I thought it was much funnier that his dad looked like a ginger Jimmy Hill.

 

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

 

It’s amazing how many foreigners live in Thailand but still hang on to their bigoted prejudices.

 

Also amazing how many Thais share equal and opposite views about blacks and farangs. Oh and Indians. Racism isn't a white issue. Me and my blonde girlfriend were regularly racially abused while living in Fiji. I laughed it off. 

 

Racism is a tool. It sells. It is used to control and divide people. Best way to get rid of it is to stop using it every time someone disagrees with you. It's useful and that's why demand exceeds supply. 

 

If you want to see how ridiculous it has become watch "Am I racist?" by Matt Walsh. The race grifters are brutally exposed. 

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