Anti-Racism Glossary

As people around the world demand justice and racial equality for Black people, some unfamiliar and occasionally misunderstood terms have moved into the mainstream. To promote a better understanding, here’s a brief glossary:

Anti-racism is the practice of actively opposing racism in all aspects of life. This includes politics, economics, culture, and society. Learn more

Anti-racist: A person who actively practices anti-racism.

Ally: A person who makes an intentional decision to understand, empathize, and act in support of others. Allyship is not an identity. It’s a lifelong journey of commitment and practice. Allyship is an informed, consistent, and empathetic practice to uphold a culture of inclusion. A guide to allyship and the state of inclusion today

BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The term is intended to acknowledge that not all people of color (POC) face the same levels of injustice. By listing out Black and Indigenous, the term emphasizes that people from these specific communities face different, and often more severe, forms of injustice and oppression. Some members of racial and ethnic communities oppose the use of this term as it suggests a uniform experience among all people who are not white and perpetuates the belief that people who are not white are intrinsically different or alien. Learn more

Black Lives Matter is an international movement formed to address systemic racism and violence against Black people. The Black Lives Matter Global Network was founded in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. About Black Lives Matter

Institutional racism is defined as racist policies and practices built into organizations and institutions, such as schools, the legal system, and law enforcement. 5 examples of institutional racism

Intersectionality recognizes that identity markers such as race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion, do not exist independently of each other. Each of us has a myriad of identities, and those identities overlap and intersect in dynamic ways. The effects of bias, prejudice, and disadvantages may be compounded by overlapping identities. Understanding intersectionality is to understand the variety of privileges and/or forms of oppression that one may experience simultaneously at any given time.

Micromessages are small, subtle messages we send and receive verbally and non-verbally. They can be negative or positive. Microaggressions are negative and can cause exclusion, while microaffirmations are positive and can encourage feelings of inclusion. Learn more

Privilege is the set of advantages, entitlements, and benefits granted only to a person or group of people exercised to the exclusion or detriment of others. Some who experience such privilege do so without being aware of the discrepancies in experiences, access, or opportunities.

Systemic racism, sometimes referred to as structural racism, encompasses the overarching system of racial bias across all aspects of our society, including history, culture, politics, and economics. All other types of racism, such as interpersonal and institutional racism, emerge from systemic racism. For example, redlining was a system that limited Black people’s access to home ownership, locking them out of a major pathway to wealth—an economic disadvantage that can take generations to dissipate. Video series about systemic racism

Unconscious bias, or implicit bias, is a preference for or against a person or group that one is not aware of having, but nevertheless is communicated through language and behavior. We can counteract and mitigate our unconscious biases by recognizing how they affect others and making the effort to change our language and behavior. Tips to fighting bias

White privilege is the unearned set of advantages, entitlements, and benefits granted specifically to white people over other racial groups, which is reinforced throughout many societal structures. Learn more