Euphemism Treadmill Mechanism

The euphemism treadmill occurs because changing a label cannot change underlying attitudes: as long as an entity carries a negative connotation, a new label will simply absorb the emotional aura of the concept rather than the reverse, so labels for stigmatized groups cycle (negro to black to African American) until the underlying prejudice declines—evidenced by African American persisting 20+ years, reflecting declining prejudice.