Everyone, from the president to self help gurus, seems to be using the word folks to refer to people in a generic sense these days. I've read
some articles recently that deplore the heavy use of this word as an example of how we're sort of dumbing ourselves down. "Folks" is a word that conjures up images of informality or rustic simplicity, and we seem to like thinking of people that way, so the argument goes.
However, it wouldn't surprise me if it were being used
more for black people than white people in a generic sense (aka "black folks"). I can think of a couple of possible reasons, one more sinister than the other.
1. If you are white, using the term "black people" sounds sort of distancing or otherizing. Kind of like Ross Perot's "you people" from way back when (it didn't go over well, needless to say). Folks sounds more homey and friendly, maybe.
2. Since the word "folks" conjures up images of rustic simplicity, it could be used more for black people because the connotation is that they're more rustic and simple?
I'm a nice white Jewish kid from Toronto, Canada, and I always interchanged the terms 'folks' with 'parents' or, when I talk about my wife's parents, I tend to say "they're good people"--and they are.
When I was growing up in CA, it was pretty common to use the term "my folks" or "your folks" to refer to parents. "I'm going home to see my folks over the holidays" and so on. People in my generation still refer to our parents this way, if we're lucky enough to still have them with us.