The 'Picnic' Controversy

I almost hesitate to mention this issue on my blog, but I have on several occassions run into Black people who have told me that they don't use the word picnic because they believe it has racist connotations. I have not tried to dissuade them of this idea, because they are partially true--there is a shared legacy between the history of "picnics" and the blotted history of this country in terms of its treatment of Blacks.Here is a link to a very profound discussion on the topic.