Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

As a phrase, “people of color” dates back centuries — it was first cited in The Oxford English Dictionary, with the British spelling “colour,” in 1796 — and is often abbreviated as POC. The other two letters, for black and Indigenous, were included in the acronym to account for the erasure of black people with darker skin and Native American people. 

From: Garcia, S.E. (2020). BIPOC: What does it mean? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-bipoc.html

Colonialism is defined as control by one power over a dependent area or people. It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people. By 1914, a large majority of the world's nations had been colonized by Europeans at some point.

From: Blakemore, E. (2019). What is colonization? National Geographic.   https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/colonialism#:~:text=Colonialism%20is%20defined%20as%20%E2%80%9Ccontrol,cultural%20values%20upon%20its%20people

Systemic racism or institutional racism refers to the ways that whiteness and white superiority become embedded in the policies and processes of an institution, resulting in a system that advantages white people and disadvantages People of Color.

Carrett, J. (2020). Explainer: what is systemic racism and institutional racism? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-systemic-racism-and-institutional-racism-131152

Privilege refers to certain social advantages, benefits, or degrees of prestige and respect that an individual has by virtue of belonging to certain social identity groups. Within American and other Western societies, these privileged social identities—of people who have historically occupied positions of dominance over others—include whites, males, heterosexuals, Christians, and the wealthy, among others.

White Privilege is the concept that highlights the unfair societal advantages that white people have over non-white people. It is something that is pervasive throughout society and exists in all of the major systems and institutions that operate in society, as well as on an interpersonal level. The phrase "white privilege" was first coined by activist and scholar Peggy McIntosh in 1988 in her paper "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."

From: García, Justin D. 2018. “Privilege (Social Inequality).” Salem Press Encyclopedia.