More recent usages and current connotation of "folks": “All was neighborly, homely, informal from dairy farmer to governor, from garden trickster to lieutenant governor,” The Times reported. A clip from 1932 described F.D.R.’s campaigning in New York for the future governor Herbert Lehman. “He was ‘just folks’ and people liked his ways,” The Times concluded. Harding’s 1923 trip to Denver, he was commended for his accessible manner. In a Times account of President Warren G. “Folks” made occasional political appearances in the early 20th century, often in the form of “just folks” - “just” underscoring the attempt at humility.
It originated from the Old English “folc,” or “people,” and expanded in the 19th century to incorporate the concept of “folklore,” which included a sense of passing along a common narrative. These are, however, simply unfounded hypotheses.Ī POB issue, but the following extract from the New York Times offers some good points:įolks is a homogeneous social group as contrasted with the individual or with a selected class,” according to Webster. As listening-oriented black/non-black interaction is more common in activist spaces, the use of folk has spread quickest in activist communities. As non-black people interact with black vocabulary, they assimilate (either naturally, or because of a false believe in #1). Folk is historically common in the black community. The word choice is not ideologically but historically motivated.Why, then, is people offensive, and folk not? Folk is a politically correct substitute for people.I can imagine two answers to this question. So let's all play together and assume it is true? I'm not sure what evidence I could provide. I recognize that I don't have hard evidence to demonstrate the truth of the phenomenon. My fundamental question is this: Why is folk used more often in activist communities? Is people offensive? The most common use is in 'black folk', but also 'white folk', 'brown folk', 'queer folk', etc. The word choice seems ideologically motivated, a more politically correct synonym for people - just as one would say 'differently-abled' instead of 'disabled' or 'latina' instead of 'hispanic' - but I can't determine any need for the substitution. I often hear folk used in leftist and activist communities. I believe the connotation is different: unlike politicians, these people are not trying to sound more 'folksy' or 'of the people'. While this discussion is interesting, and desired when relevant, I am more concerned with use in activist communities. Edit: Comments so far have focused on the speech of politicians.
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