A Google Ngram search comparing the frequency of the use of "colored people," "minorities" and "people of color" delivers . The use of the phrase "colored people" peaked in books published in 1970. For "minorities," the top-ranked year was 1997. Since then, the term has steadily declined but continues to significantly outstrip the use of "people of color," which reached its apex in 2003 (although it is important to note that 2008 is the latest year for which results are available).
Let's consider the evolution of that ubiquitous phrase "people of color." It's not new.
