“Brown Bag” Controversy Reveals Chink in the Armor of Language Police
4th August 2013
The Office of Civil Rights says Seattle serves all residents, whether they’re United States citizens or not. And while city leaders publicize “brown bag” lunch meetings as a way to designate a bring-your-own lunch time event, the term has a sordid history.
“It used to be a way people could judge skin color,” Bronstein said in a phone interview. Does the public find it offensive? Most people agree it’s not.
Unspoken is the fact that it’s used solely by black people to judge other black people. But, of course, if anybody anywhere is going to be offended, it’s off-limits.