Protected: Race 101

Terms

BIPOC: An acronym that represents Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Racist: Racism is an ism, it is a system, structure, or belief that cements prejudice into reality. In order to enact and perpetuate such a system one needs institutional and individual power; power that Black, Indigenous, and people of color do not have in our society that prizes whiteness. While BIPOC can hold prejudice or act in a way that discriminates they do not have the power to enact racism and therefore cannot be racist.

Prejudice: Judgments or beliefs that are typically negative, and formed based on stereotypes which deny marginalized groups their full humanity.

Oppression: The systematic subjugation of one social group for the social, economic, and political benefit of another group with power. Oppression is born from power + prejudice.

White Centering: White centering is the centering of white values, people, norms, and feelings over all else.Under white supremacy whiteness is centered, meaning that whiteness exist as the norm and BIPOC are seen as “other”. We see this throughout history, our education system, legislation, media outlets, medicine, and other realms of our lives.

Microaggressions: Comments or behaviors which subtly and often unintentionally express a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.

Example: You’re so different from other Black people, I feel comfortable around you.

Are you sure this is the right class for you? Not many women sign up for…

Reverse racism: The ill-formed concept that policies or programs that attempt to address racial inequalities are a form of discrimination towards white people. It is the belief that movements that promote Black people are disadvantageous for white people.

Cultural Appropriation: The stealing of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. This is commonly exemplified through music, food, clothing, language, hairstyles, art, and literature.