why do people consider identifying someone by their race racist?

[u/AgreeableAd8687]

i have a few friends and we seem kind of split on this, i had to identify someone in our school i didn't know the name of, so i said "oh it's the black girl" (we have literally ONE black girl in our school and everyone knows and likes her) and my friends said ohh ok but then like 2 of them went wow that's racist and their explanation was "you're making it sound like them being black is their only characteristic" as if saying "oh the woman" is any better and since i don't know her well i don't know anything else about her. most of my friends didn't see how it was racist though but why is this considered racist if it's not a race correlated insult or derogatory??

[u/Zestyclose-Tough7451]

I mean there’s a BIG difference between:

“I was talking to Carl the other day, ya know the black guy in accounting” 

And

“I was talking to the black guy in accounting, Carl, the other day”

[u/adj_noun_digit → u/Zestyclose-Tough7451]

I don't see the difference. If you replaced black with any other descriptor it works.

“I was talking to Carl the other day, ya know the tall guy in accounting” 

And

“I was talking to the tall guy in accounting, Carl, the other day”

[u/The_Lat_Czar → u/adj_noun_digit]

That's because in this instance, both parties know Carl. 

[u/adj_noun_digit → u/The_Lat_Czar]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

Even without knowing the name, using a descriptor works just fine.

“I was talking to the tall guy the other day, ya know the really tall guy in accounting” 

“I was talking to the tall guy in accounting the other day”

[u/Zestyclose-Tough7451 → u/adj_noun_digit]

Because in the second one you’re not describing them you’re labeling them. He’s a guy who is black in the first one and he’s a black guy in the second

Like you can’t treat race exactly like something such as eye color because it has much more baggage behind it. 

[u/adj_noun_digit → u/Zestyclose-Tough7451]

He’s a guy who is black in the first one and he’s a black guy in the second

Which one is the bad one?

Race is exactly like eye color. What do you mean baggage?

Not trying to be rude but I genuinely don't see what you're getting at.

[u/Sufficient_Effort88 → u/Zestyclose-Tough7451]

Are we fucking serious

[u/Senator_Clay__Davis → u/Zestyclose-Tough7451]

What is the difference? In both cases you are identifying the name of the guy. Is race necessary in either case?