Maybe it seemed polite to you and maybe your white friends, but try asking some of your middle aged black colleagues how they like or liked being called coloured.
My experience from my black family, and friends was they wanted it (want it) straight, they are black, not green, yellow or red, thats only their threads! In England, with black wife, family and friends for many years, for them being called coloured sounded to them and me, 2 faced, "snidy, slimy, polite' to your face, but would likely go to that f***** n***** as soon as they get round the corner. The way these words are said makes all the difference of a course.
It was far more out in the open in the States, the Blacks I worked with there callled the Whites Whitey, the other Blacks f****** ****** or Bro, the Mexicans Mekks, the Whites called the Blacks, ******s, Mexicans Mex, and I got called Niles cos I said pass the nails the wrong way for the Sceptics! But this was all friendly, just a laugh, and we all often went off drinking together after work, and they told each other tales of how they used to hunt each other back home n the bad old days. Not good but at least out in the Open, not hiding behind that Coloured false politeness sh*te.
Here in Thailand people are from all over and it is so good not to hear any of this sh*t, but talking to black friends in Oslo just this winter who come from Jamaica/England, made it clear to me that they are still getting racist abuse, treatment still sadly daily today.
I understand where you are coming from. However the whole world has to move on from the intentional racist abuse and derogatory name calling and that includes victims as well as perpetrators. It really is expecting too much for people to have to remember that 'persons of colour' is acceptable and not offensive but 'coloured' was perceived to be even if not intended and therefore is even more so today. As you say the way in which the words are said. ie the context makes all the difference. That is the danger of political correctness. It ignores context.
