Petition · past parliament · Cabinet Office
Amend the list of ethnic groups and remove 'Black' as a label
Closed
30 signatures
What the petition asks
The word ‘Black’ was a racial label created during the colonial era in the 17th and 18th centuries as a justification for forced labour, and enslavement of Africans. We want the list of ethnic groups used by Government to refer to specific ethnic groups, and not use 'Black' as an ethnic group.
The word ‘Black’ was used as part of the social hierarchy formed by colonialism during the 17th and 18th centuries to deny privileges to non-whites and to justify the enslavement of Africans, who were considered black. We believe using 'Black' as an ethnicity, with all the negative connotations associated with it, in the modern, post-colonial era is wrong. We consider it derogatory, outdated and an unrepresentative label. Rather it should be African or Caribbean.
Timeline
| 3 Mar 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 3 Sep 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
30
Status
Closed
Department
Cabinet Office
Opened
3 Mar 2023
Closed
3 Sep 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.