Glossary & Discussion Questions

Glossary

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• Affirmative Action: A set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future, according to Cornell Law School.

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• Ally: Merriam-Webster defines ally as “often now used specifically of a person who is not a member of a marginalized or mistreated group but who expresses or gives support to that group”

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• Bias: Merriam-Webster defines bias as “an instance of such prejudice.” 

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• Ebony: An Emerson College organization that describes themselves as “an organization dedicated to the political and cultural reawakening of students of African descent within the Emerson community.”

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•  Ethnicity:  Merriam-Webster defines ethnicity as “a particular ethnic affiliation or group”

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• Flawless Brown: An Emerson College organization that describes themselves as “an artist collective for women of color.”

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• Low-Income: Dictonary.com defines low-income as “of or relating to those with a relatively small income.” According to PBS, Low-income is considered 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and poor is defined as 100 percent of the poverty level. For 2013, a family of four making less than $23,624 is considered at the federal poverty level, and $47,248 is considered low income.

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• Micro-aggressions: Merriam-Webster defines micro-aggressions as “a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority).”

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• Person of Color: Dictionary.com defines a person of color as “A nonwhite person, such as someone of African or Native American descent. This seemingly modern euphemism actually dates from the late 1700s and was revived in the late 1900s.” The term “Person of Color” is an overarching umbrella term, “More and more, we are becoming a society of in-between identities, of fluid selves, and I have come to believe that the phrase people of color—to recklessly lump nonwhites into a bland monochrome—does a disservice to that reality” (Wired, What We Get Wrong About ‘People of Color’).

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• Race: Britannica defines the idea of race as “the idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences”

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• Socioeconomic status: American Psychological Association defines socioeconomic status as “the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation.”

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• (White)Passing: Passing occurs when members of a racial, ethnic, or religious group present themselves as belonging to another such group.