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Prevention Action Alliance
Know! To Define Racial Terms for Teens
Whether our youth are on social media, listening to music, or are
streaming their favorite TV show, they are likely hearing highly
influential musical artists, athletes, and other celebrities voicing
their opinions on racism in America. A lot of terms are being used that
we or our children might not be familiar with, which can cause mixed
feelings and confusion. As we said in the previous tip, we, as parents
and caregivers, must engage our children in ongoing conversations on
this topic, and we must be their information filter, as young people
may come to harmful conclusions about race and racism when it is not
talked about openly and honestly. An important piece in building a
foundation for constructive conversations around this subject is to
first spend some time defining key terms.
Some basic but necessary terms to get started:
Bias: A preference either for or against an individual or a group of people that affects fair judgement.
Stereotypes: A false idea that all members of a group are the same and think and behave in the same way.
Prejudice: Judging or having an idea about someone or a group of people before you actually know them.
Discrimination: Unfair treatment of one person or a group of people
because of the person or group’s identity. Discrimination is an action
that can come from prejudice.
Racism: Prejudice and/or discrimination against people because of their race.
Defining words to dig deeper:
Implicit/Inherent Bias: The unconscious attitudes and stereotypes and
unintentional actions (positive or negative) toward members of a group
simply because of their membership in that group.
White Fragility: The tendency among members of the dominant white
cultural group to have a defensive, wounded, angry, or dismissive
response to evidence of racism.
Systemic Racism: (as defined by Sociologist Joe Feagin in his book,
“Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations”) A
complex array of antiblack practices found in each major part of U.S.
society - the economy, politics, education, religion, the family.
Microaggressions: These are the everyday slights, indignities,
put-downs and insults that people of color may experience in their
day-to-day interactions. Microaggressions can appear to be compliments
but often contain an unintentional insult to the target group.
On social media, we see people commenting about being “colorblind.”
They say things like, “I do not see color,” or “We are only one race,
the human race.” While these comments are fully meant to be positive
and uniting, they are examples of microaggressions: unintentional snubs
to people of color. Though we are unified as human beings, there is
pride and honor in a person’s race and culture which should be
acknowledged and celebrated.
Privilege: The unearned and often unrecognized advantages, benefits, or
rights granted to people based on their membership in a dominant group
beyond what is commonly experienced by members of a marginalized group.
Examples of privilege include male privilege, heterosexual privilege,
people without disabilities privilege, and white privilege. White
privilege is the term being highlighted currently as public
conversations around racism intensify. These are words that can cause
discomfort, receive pushback, and derail a conversation entirely among
white people if misinterpreted. However, when explained and clearly
understood, talking about white privilege can begin to break down the
walls of racism.
White privilege doesn’t suggest that white people have had everything
handed down to them. It doesn’t mean they haven’t had to work hard to
be successful. It does not mean they have not had financial hardships
or life struggles. It is not meant to invoke guilt. In simple terms, it
addresses the everyday, sometimes subtle, sometimes not subtle
advantages that white people have over others.
Subtle example of white privilege: I can walk into a grocery store and
simply head to the general hair aisle to find a huge variety of
products for my hair type. I do not have to seek out the typically
smaller “ethnic hair” section with limited products for my hair type.
Non-subtle example of white privilege: I can take a job or enroll in a
college with an affirmative action policy without having my co-workers
or peers assume I got it because of my race.
White Privilege, along with additional examples, is best explained by
Peggy McIntosh in her essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible
Knapsack.” It was published in 1988, yet remains relevant today.
The conversations on race and racism we need to have with our children
are not necessarily easy, or comfortable, but they are imperative. In
the next Know! tip we will provide tips to keep in mind as you share
this information and more with your teens.
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