glossary

These are BRJA’s formulations of terms from an ARAO analysis shared with other ARAO organizations; they are revised over time.

Racial Diversity

The statistical presence of individuals of various races within a group.

Refers to having in place structures, processes, and policies that remove racialized barriers, resulting in more inclusive participation in institutional and structural power building, sharing, and wielding for traditionally marginalized racial groups.

Racial Inclusion

Refers to the time when Black, Native American, and other non-Black communities of color confirm that systemic actions have repaired societal racialized, generational damages. Individual institutions can practice Racial Inclusion. However, Racial Equity is a societal debt and obligation; no one institution can practice “racial equity,” nor can individual institutions offer “reparations.”

Racial Equity

The actual benefits which people who are socially identified as white receive whether they know it or not; the concrete advantages of being white. White privilege is experienced in varying degrees depending on social class, gender, ability, religion, etc.

White Privilege

A belief that “white culture” - attitudes, behavior, beliefs, standards, history, literature, music, values, etc. - is superior to all others. It is the term for the idea, and subsequently a system, and is the foundation of all U.S. racism.

White Supremacy

A theoretical framework that illuminates society’s inability to recognize the humanity of Black people. Anti-Blackness specifically describes the unique discrimination, violence and harms inflicted upon and impacting Black people specifically for over 400 years of American history. It is not just a U.S. legacy but is global, pre-dating and directly connected to colonialism, imperialism, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Anti-Blackness is society’s refusal to recognize the humanity of Black people.

Anti-Blackness

As it is used in contemporary American society, "race" refers to a socially constructed system of classification created by white Americans to rationalize the colonization of the Americas, the enslavement of African peoples, and the development of capitalism. The system of race categorizes humans into separate and racially hierarchical groups and delimits those groups' access to resources, power, and humanity. The concept of race and racial classifications has evolved over time to suit the purposes of the dominant racial culture, which in the U.S. are people classified as white.

Race

Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism in the U.S. involves those racialized as white, having and maintaining the power to carry out systemic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society, and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices. People of any racial category can contribute to, or act against, racism.

Racism

Socio-Political

As it is used in contemporary American society, "race" refers to a socially constructed system of classification created by white Americans to rationalize the colonization of the Americas, the enslavement of African peoples, and the development of capitalism. The system of race categorizes humans into separate and racially hierarchical groups and delimits those groups' access to resources, power, and humanity. The concept of race and racial classifications has evolved over time to suit the purposes of the dominant racial culture, which in the U.S. are people classified as white.

Racial Identity

How someone self-identifies racially based on known facts about their parentage, ancestry and lived culture.

Racial Identity

Personal

Refers to the time when the conditions of Racial Equity have been achieved and firmly embedded as primary principles of society, and structures are in place to ensure that everyone gets what they need (opportunity and access) to thrive and contribute according to their talents and abilities.

Racial Justice

Anti-Racism/ Anti-Oppression

An analysis and framework centering U.S. history – policies, laws, culture, etc. – in understanding past and current racialized disparities, as well as current ways in which racism and white supremacy continue to be centered in U.S. policies, laws, culture – and in our institutions. Its strategies are centered more on transformational (expanding and reshaping power and function) than transactional impact.

Transactional changes involve meeting individual, immediate needs. They do not address root causes or change systems.
Transitional changes are the types of change where changes are made to existing organizational structures, systems, policies and/or procedures. Transitional change, if sustained, can lead to transformational change.
Transformational change is permanent change that impacts systems and structures and resolves root causes.