50 Terms to Engage in Racial Equity and Justice

Let's talk about race...

50 Terms to Engage in Racial Equity and Justice

By Edgardo Ordoñez MD, MPH, Chloé Woodington MD, MPH, Michelle Suh MD, and Moises Gallegos, MD, MPH, on behalf of the Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine

In having discussions about race and racism, we must start by educating ourselves. Below is a list of terms with definitions that can help us develop a common language, enhance the quality of our dialogue, and allow us to engage in supportive movements towards dismantling racism. As academic emergency physicians, we have a dual responsibility in providing quality patient care and fighting for justice through curricular reform, bedside teaching, and community engagement and activism through a racial and social justice lens. We understand that words on this list may have different meanings based on individual identities and lived experiences. This list is not all-inclusive and represents current usage, as terms are constantly evolving. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Affinity (Caucus) Group: A group formed around a shared identity (e.g., gender, race, sexual identity, etc.) to allow for a safe space where participants can share and discuss People of Color; more inclusive than the commonly used term

experiences or work toward common goals

Accomplice: Someone who commits to dismantling the structures that oppress certain groups by putting allyship into action Code-Switching: Linguistically refers to when an individual adapt to sociocultural norms

Ally: Someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice

eliminating racism by opposing and challenging attitudes, policies, and behaviors through structural change Bigotry: Intolerant devotion to one’s prejudices and beliefs that denigrates other groups, including ethnic and racial groups

BIPOC: An acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous, and “people of color,” and centers on the unique experiences of Black and Indigenous people

alternates between or intermixes the use of two or more languages, dialects, or language varieties depending on social context or conversational setting; can also mean a modification of one’s appearance, expressions, or behavior to Anti-racism: Includes an active process of identifying and

Colonialism/Colonization: The theory and act of assuming control of someone else’s territory through dispossession and subjugation of native people; colonialism is the practice, while colonization is the process

code switching

colorism

intersectionality

Colorism: A form of discrimination, typically within racial groups, in which there is a prejudicial and preferential treatment based solely on one’s color and skin tone; preferential treatment is generally towards those with a lighter skin tone, whereas there is a marginalization of those with darker skin tones

Critical Race Theory: A theoretical framework that analyzes the relationship between race, racism, and power; seeks to understand, interrogate, and find solutions to racial inequality and structural racism that emerge from racist ideologies, systems, and institutions that maintain white supremacy

Cultural Competence: The integration and transformation of knowledge about cultural belief systems, practices, and attitudes that are different from one’s own; allows for the ability to communicate, interact, and understand people across cultures effectively

Cultural Appropriation: Adoption of cultural elements for personal interest and can include symbols, fashion, art, language, and customs; often done without understanding, acknowledging, or respecting its value to the original culture

Cultural Humility: An ongoing process of self-exploration and self-reflection whereby one not only learns about, but also acknowledges, limits in understanding other cultures due to one’s assumptions, biases, and values

Discrimination: The unjust, prejudiced, or unequal treatment of members of various groups based on gender, race, sexual identity, etc.

Diversity: Unique and individual differences within the dimensions of gender, race, sexual identity, etc.; also involves different ideas, perspectives, and values Empowerment: A multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives; fosters power in people (that is, the capacity to implement), for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important

Ethnicity: Recognizes differences between people mostly based on language and shared culture; encompasses everything from language, to nationality, culture, and religion, it can enable people to take on several identities

Equality: Ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents; recognizes that historically certain groups of people with “nonmajority” characteristics such as gender, race, sexual identity, etc. have experienced discrimination

Equity: In the general sense, to be fair and impartial; may be used to refer to the pursuit of justice and fairness for all people

Implicit Bias: Refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner; these biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control

Inequality: The state of not being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities

Inequity: Refers to unfair and avoidable differences arising from poor governance, corruption, or cultural exclusion

white fragility

LET'S TALK ABOUT RACE

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Inclusion: The achievement of an environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully

Individual Racism: Assumptions, beliefs, or behaviors as a form of racial discrimination that stems from conscious, and unconscious, personal prejudice; connected to and reinforced by systemic racism

Injustice: The absence of justice; a violation of the rights of others

Institutional/Structural/Systemic Racism: Policies and practices of organizations that have a disproportionately negative effect on racially marginalized groups in terms of access, resources, and outcomes; this can occur without intentionality or awareness

Internalized Racism: When an oppressed racial group develops and participates in the attitudes, behaviors, structures, and ideologies that support racism

Intersectionality: A framework describing how people experience discrimination, disadvantage, and privilege differently depending on their overlapping identities (e.g., race and gender, race and sexual orientation) Marginalization: The treatment of groups and communities as secondary, inferior, or abnormal compared to the group with power

Microaggression: Brief and commonplace slights, insults, and indignities that appear innocuous but demean a person’s identity or convey a discriminatory attitude or belief

Minoritization: the subordination of a person or people; the term “minority” no longer refers just to a smaller group within a populace but may also imply lesser value or importance

Oppression: Systematic subjugation of a group for the social, economic, and political benefit of the more powerful group; a result of power and prejudice

Prejudice: A preconceived unfavorable belief or judgment about a person or group that is not based on actual experience

Privilege: Unearned, and often unrecognized, advantage given to individuals solely based on their membership in a dominant group

Race: A social construct without a biological basis for which definitions have shifted over time in response to interests of groups in power

“As academic emergency physicians, we have a dual responsibility in providing quality patient care and fighting for justice through curricular reform, bedside teaching, and community engagement and activism through a racial and social justice lens.”

Racial Equity: A state of being where race does not predict future outcomes and all groups benefit from a just and equitable system

Racial Justice: Systematic and active implementation of policies to both prevent racial inequity and promote fair treatment and opportunity for all racial groups

Racialization: The application of a racial meaning to a previously racially unclassified relationship, social practice, or group and on that basis subjected to differential and/or unequal treatment

Racism: Race prejudice + institutional power. A belief that a particular race group is inherently superior and involves having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through institutional policies and practices and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices

Social Justice: A broad concept espousing the belief that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities, and calling for just and fair relationships between all individuals and society

Solidarity: The coming together of individuals with a shared identity, lived experience, or political commitment often in efforts to combat adversity

Stereotype: A fixed and overgeneralized belief about a group or class of people that can result in prejudice

Stereotype Threat: A psychological threat to performance that arises when one is in a situation or performing a task for which a negative stereotype about one’s group exists

Structural Competency: The trained ability of health professionals to recognize the impact of social factors on the health of individuals, populations, and systems

Tone Policing: A diversionary tactic to draw attention to the tone of a statement being made by an individual from a marginalized group, rather than the meaning of the words, to discredit the argument as an overreaction or as irrational White Fragility: Discomfort with issues of racial inequality and injustice that results in white individuals showing outward defensive actions and emotions and choosing to avoid the situation

White Privilege: The occurrence of advantages, entitlements, and benefits given to a person solely for being white creating institutional and cultural preference that the individual is often unaware of

White Supremacy: A historical system of oppression of BIPOC under the belief that the white race should be dominant in society

Xenophobia: A fear or hatred of ideas, items, or individuals considered foreign or strange

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Ordoñez is an assistant professor of emergency and internal medicine and assistant program director of the Baylor College of Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency. @TheEMIMdoc

Dr. Woodington is a PGY-3 and chief resident at the Baylor College of Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency. @theCHosen_mvp

Dr. Suh is a PGY-1 resident at the Baylor College of Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency. @msuh25

Dr. Gallegos is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine and clerkship director at the Stanford University School of Medicine. @moyinscrubs