RACIAL EQUITY GLOSSARY
Definitions based on the Office of Racial Equity ’ s Citywide Framework and RacialEquityTools . org
Anti-Blackness Anti-Black racism is hostility towards , opposition to , pathologizing of and racism towards Black people and culture , manifested through individual , internalized , interpersonal , institutional or systemic interactions , decisions , processes and outcomes .
Ally Someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege ( based on gender , class , race , sexual identity , etc .) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice . Allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression , even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways . Allies commit to reducing their own complicity or collusion in oppression of those groups and invest in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression .
Belonging Belonging means more than having access ; it means having a meaningful voice and being afforded the opportunity to participate in the design of political , social , economic and cultural structures .
BIPOC BIPOC is an acronym for “ Black , indigenous and people of color .” Specifically naming Black and indigenous people acknowledges they have and continue to face the worst impacts of white supremacist culture .
Bias Prejudgment in the evaluation of one group and its members relative to another . Acting on bias can be discriminatory and , when combined with power , can create negative outcomes for particular groups . Implicit bias is when bias is unconscious , as racial bias often is . Explicit bias refers to conscious prejudice against a group or groups . When addressing bias , for example in a process or individual , the focus should not be on intent , but rather on the impact and outcomes that result .
Degree Inflation Requiring a college degree for jobs that previously did not require one , also known as “ up-credentialing .”
Diversity Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another . A broad definition includes not only race , ethnicity and gender — the groups that most often come to mind when the term diversity is used — but also age , national origin , religion , disability , sexual orientation , socioeconomic status , education , marital status , gender identity , language and physical appearance . It also involves different ideas , perspectives and values .
Equity Full and equal access to opportunities , power and resources , whereby all people may thrive and prosper regardless of demographics .
Ethnicity A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics , such as shared sense of group membership , values , behavioral patterns , language , political and economic interests , history , and ancestral
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