Where is the commitment to racial equality when it comes to language? Are Blacks not the equals of Whites? Are whites not the equals of blacks?
Would you have a problem if you read in the New York Times that “Yesterday, Arabs and jews came together in Jerusalem…”? Or how about this: “Tensions between muslims and Christians flared today…”? Or this: “The difference between Republicans and democrats is that…”?
Capitalizing the first letter of a word still means something in the English language, even though the practices and rules of capitalization have changed over the centuries. If you look at the earliest extant copies of the Declaration of Independence, you will see that the document’s use of capital letters differs considerably from common usage today:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
AS the struggle for justice continues in the 21st century, we should not overlook the importance of linguistic practices in promoting or undermining the equitable treatment of individuals and groups.
