colour-line
Definition
- Noun:
- Racial segregation: "colour-line" refers to the social, political, or legal boundary that separates people based on race, particularly the division between white and non-white populations. It is often used to describe the systemic discrimination and exclusion enforced by laws or customs.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The colour-line in the United States was enforced through Jim Crow laws until the mid-20th century. (The racial boundary was maintained by legal segregation.)
- W.E.B. Du Bois famously wrote that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the colour-line." (He identified racial division as a central global issue.)
Advanced Usage
"to draw the colour-line": to establish or enforce racial segregation.
- Many institutions in the South drew the colour-line, barring Black citizens from public facilities. (They created a clear racial boundary.)
"to cross the colour-line": to violate racial segregation norms by interacting with people of another race.
- In the 1950s, a white person who crossed the colour-line to marry a Black person faced severe social backlash. (They broke the racial boundary.)
Variants and Related Words
Colour bar (n): a synonym for "colour-line," meaning a set of laws or customs that prevent people of different races from mixing.
- The colour bar in South Africa was a key feature of apartheid. (Racial segregation was legally enforced.)
Colour-coded (adj): organized or separated by race (often used metaphorically).
- The housing policies were colour-coded, with white families given priority in certain neighborhoods. (Race determined access.)
Synonyms
- Racial segregation: the enforced separation of racial groups.
- Racial divide: the gap or separation between races.
Related Idioms
- The colour line: used as a fixed phrase to denote the boundary of racial discrimination.
- Breaking the colour line in sports was a major achievement for Jackie Robinson. (He ended racial segregation in professional baseball.)
Notes on Usage
- The term "colour-line" is historically significant and often appears in discussions of racism, social justice, and civil rights. It is less common in casual modern speech but remains a powerful concept in academic and historical contexts.