“Anti-Black” is used to describe actions, attitudes, systems and behaviors geared toward subjugating, dehumanizing, and/or discriminating against Black people or Blackness. When exploring disparities in health, income, education, and more among Black communities, it’s important to explore the effects of anti-Blackness, at both a systemic and an individual level.
Category: Race and Ethnicity
Race and Ethnicity, Borders and Populations, Disabilities, Neurodiversity, and Chronic Illness, Gender and Sexuality
hate crime
A hate crime as defined by the Justice Department is “a crime motivated by bias against [perceived or actual] race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.” Since the legal standard for a hate crime is narrow and may be difficult to determine, especially in a breaking news situation, adding hedging language such as “possible” or “alleged” may be necessary until further information is available.
racism
Racism in the United States is a system and structure that entrenches a power differential between groups based on race that subjugates, marginalizes, and oppresses people of color while upholding white privilege and white supremacy. Using euphemistic language — calling something “racially charged” or “racially tinged” when it’s clearly racist, like the use of a racial slur — can appear to downplay the negative effects of the actions or words and excuse the offending conduct/party. It’s more precise to put the focus on the actions or words rather than the person; saying someone made racist statements is clearer and in many cases more accurate than declaring someone is “a racist.”
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