Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump slammed after hailing the removal of ‘master bedroom’ from real estate listings because of its ‘association with slavery’
- Crump tweeted that ‘many associate it with slavery, a reminder of plantation life’
- He was sharing article about is being phased out by realtors in Minnesota
- Master is derived from Latin ‘magister’ and its applications in English are legion
- Crump ridiculed and pointed towards: master’s degree, master key, mastermind
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump has been slammed for hailing the removal of ‘master bedroom’ from real estate listings because of its ‘association with slavery.’
Crump, who represented George Floyd’s family, tweeted: ‘Words MATTER! Good to see Minnesota phasing out the use of ‘master bedroom’ in real estate listings. Many associate it with slavery, a repetitive reminder of plantation life. Together, we can create more inclusive, aware communities!’
He was sharing an article from the Star Tribune on Monday which reported that ‘master’ was gradually being phased by Minnesota realtors for ‘primary’ or ‘main’ when referring to the largest bedroom in a house because of a ‘racial reckoning.’
The 51-year-old lawyer was widely ridiculed for the etymological leap in taking issue with ‘master’, derived from the Latin ‘magister’ (chief, leader, teacher), the word has been used for centuries in English to refer to a man with authority over something or someone.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represented the George Floyd family, outside the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota last summer
Crump was sharing an article from the Star Tribune on Monday which reported that ‘master’ was gradually being phased out for ‘primary’ or ‘main’ when referring to the largest bedroom in a house because of a ‘racial reckoning’
The 51-year-old lawyer was widely ridiculed for the etymological leap in taking issue with ‘master’, derived from the Latin ‘magister’ (chief, leader, teacher), the word has been used for centuries in English to refer to a man with authority over something or someone
‘Master’ and its widespread applications in English
Master, and similar European derivations of its Latin root ‘magister’ (chief, leader, teacher) such as ‘maître’ (French), ‘maestro’ (Italian), ‘meister’ (German), have been around for centuries – long before the first slave ships landed in America.
As well as the term ‘slave master,’ there are countless other applications of ‘master’ which have no links whatsoever to slavery.
Some examples include: bandmaster, headmaster, housemaster, ironmaster, paymaster, postmaster, ringmaster, spymaster, and whoremaster.
The first usage of ‘master bedroom’ was in a Sears catalogue from 1926, which offered a kit for building your own home.
An architectural historian told The New York Times last year that Sears may have introduced the term ‘as a way to attract aspirational suburban home buyers who aimed to be viewed as part of the expanding middle class after WWI.’
One person tweeted: ‘Does this mean my student loans for my master’s degree are being refunded?’
Another replied mockingly: ‘I had lost the master key I use to unlock the closet where I keep all the master tapes from my recording studio, but unfortunately, because I never mastered the art of lock picking, I can’t get to them. I’ll bet a criminal mastermind would have no problem, though!’
An ironic comment said: ‘Nearly all slave owners had fingers. Fingers are a stark reminder of the evils of slavery. It’s time we remove all human fingers to create a more inclusive, aware world.’
The first usage of ‘master bedroom’ was in a Sears catalogue from 1926, which offered a kit for building your own home.
An architectural historian told The New York Times last year that Sears may have introduced the term ‘as a way to attract aspirational suburban home buyers who aimed to be viewed as part of the expanding middle class after World War I.’
The Houston Association of Realtors stopped using the term last June as the Black Lives Matter protests swept America in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The Real Estate Board of New York has also said it will review usage of the term in its residential listings.
In Minnesota, there has been no such ruling but individual realtors are now reportedly less inclined to use ‘master bedroom.’
Jackie Berry, a listing agent for Edina Realty, told the Star Tribune: ‘There’s a hidden discriminatory piece that falls when you say “master” bedroom.
‘I’m a person of color and every time the term “master bedroom” was used, I kept saying to myself, “I don’t like how it sounds.” Now as I’m walking through a property, I’ll just say it’s the owners’ or primary suite.’
It is part of a broader sensitivity in real estate which has seen a shift away from gendered language, such as ‘man cave’, and substituting it for gender neutral words like ‘den.’
Terms such as ‘guesthouse’ have replaced names which are believed to be more antiquated, such as ‘mother-in-law suite.’
And instead of ‘his-and-hers,’ ‘dual closet’ or ‘dual-entry bathroom’ are considered more appropriate.
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