DEI Glossary & Allyship Resources

Ability– A person’s experience and connection to their physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Someone’s ability can evolve over time as people age or have specific physical, mental, and emotional experiences that change the way they operate.
From: Cornell

Ableism– Beliefs or practices that rest on the assumption that being able-bodied is “normal” while other states of being need to be “fixed” or altered. This can result in devaluing or discriminating against people with physical, intellectual or psychiatric disabilities.
From: Harvard University

Accessibility–
i) The “ability to access” the functionality of a system or entity, and gain the related benefits.
ii) The degree to which a product, service, or environment is accessible by as many people as possible.
From: Harvard University

Accessible Design– Ensures both direct (unassisted) access and indirect access through assistive technology (e.g., computer screen readers).
From: Harvard University

Accommodation– A change in the environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to have equal opportunity, access and participation.
From: Harvard University

Accomplice– Someone who uses the power and privilege they have to challenge the status quo, often risking their physical and social well being in the process. While an ally is willing to stand in support of a marginalized voice, risk is rarely involved. All accomplices are allies, but not all allies are accomplices.
From: UW Foster

Advocate– A person who actively works to end intolerance, educate others, and support social equity for a marginalized group; to actively support or plea in favor of a particular cause, the action of working to end intolerance or educate others.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Ageism–
i) A socially constructed way of thinking about older persons based on negative attitudes and stereotypes about aging.
From: UW Foster
ii) Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions, such as referring to someone’s age in a context in which age is not relevant, based on differences in age.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Ally– Someone who supports a group other than one’s own (in terms of multiple identities such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, etc.). An ally acknowledges oppression and actively commits to reducing their own complicity, investing in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression.
From: UW Environment

American– A native or inhabitant of any of the countries of North, South, or Central America. Widely used to denote a native or citizen of the United States.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Antiracism– Any idea that suggests that racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences – that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group. (Adapted from lbram X. Kendi.)
From: Cornell

Anti‐Semitism– The fear or hatred of Jews, Judaism, and related symbols.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Belonging– Everyone is treated and feels like a full member of the larger community, and can thrive.
From: Harvard University

Bias– Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in an unfair or negative way.
From: Harvard University

Bias Incident– An action taken that one could reasonably and prudently conclude is motivated, in whole or in part, by the alleged offender’s bias against an actual or perceived aspect of diversity.
From: Cornell

Bicultural– A person who functions effectively and appropriately and can select appropriate behaviors, values, and attitudes within either of two cultures; a person who identifies with two cultures.
From: University of Pittsburgh

BIPOC– “Black, Indigenous, [and] People of Color.” This term is used to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color.
From: Cornell

Biracial– A person who identifies coming from two races. A person whose biological parents are of two different races.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Bisexual– A person who experiences attraction to some men and women, or identifies as experiencing an attraction to people of varying genders.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Black Lives Matter– A human rights movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence and systemic racism toward black people. The movement began with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin in February 2012.
From: Harvard University

Calling In– A communication method used when an individual wants to speak with another person, publicly or privately, about their behavior in a compassionate and patient way.
From: Cornell

Calling Out– A communication method generally focused on pointing out a mistake or disagreement instead of rectifying the damage caused.
From: Cornell

Cisgender– A person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth. For example, a person identified as female at birth who identifies as a woman can be said to be a cisgender woman.
From: Harvard University

Citizen– A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Classism– Differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class.
From: UW Foster

Closeted or “In the Closet”– A term used to describe gender and sexual minorities who do not want or cannot reveal their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Code-switching– The conscious or unconscious act of altering one’s communication style and/or appearance depending on the specific situation of who one is speaking to, what is being discussed, and the relationship and power and/or community dynamics between those involved. Often members of target groups code-switch to minimize the impact of bias from the dominant group.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Colonialism– The exploitative historical, political, social, and economic system established when one group or force takes control over a colonized territory or group; the unequal relationship between colonizer and the colonized.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Colonization– The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. The action of appropriating a place or domain for one’s own use.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Color-blindness– refers to the disregard of racial characteristics; the belief in treating everyone “equally” by treating everyone the same; based in the presumption that differences are by definition bad or problematic, and therefore best ignored (i.e., “I don’t see race.”).

Proponents of color-blind practices believe that treating people equally inherently leads to a more equal society and/or that racism and race privilege no longer exercise the power they once did, while opponents of color-blind practices believe that color-blindness allows those in power to disregard or ignore the history of oppression and how it is experienced today.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Colorism– A form of prejudice or discrimination in which people are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Coming Out– The process by which LGBTQI individuals recognize, accept, typically appreciate, and often celebrate their sexual orientation, sexuality, or gender identity/expression. Coming out varies across culture and community.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Cultural Appropriation– Adopting aspects of a minority culture by someone outside the culture, without sufficient understanding of its context or respect for the meaning and value of the original. Cultural appropriation done in a way that promotes disrespectful cultural or racial stereotypes is considered particularly harmful.
From: Harvard University

D.A.C.A (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)– An American immigration policy that allows some individuals who were brought to the United States without inspection as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Deaf– Used to describe a person with total or profound hearing loss.
Note: Many only have mild or partial loss of hearing. Use person with hearing loss, partially deaf, or hearing impaired for individuals with partial loss of hearing.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Decolonize– The active and intentional process of unlearning values, beliefs, and conceptions that have caused physical, emotional, or mental harm to people through colonization. It requires a recognition of systems of oppression.
From: University of Pittsburgh

DEIA– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access

DEIB– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

DEIJ– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Disability– Having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This is includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.
From: UW Foster

Discrimination: The unequal treatment of members of various groups, based on conscious or unconscious prejudice, which favors one group over others on differences of race, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, language, age, national identity, religion and other categories.
From: UW Environment

Diversity–
1) The wide range of identities people possess. It broadly includes race, ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, veteran status, physical appearance, etc.
2) Different ideas, perspectives and values.
From: UW Environment

Empathy– The ability to imagine what something might feel like for someone who experiences the world in a different way than you do. It involves showing sensitivity and responding to another’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences as though you were experiencing them yourself.
From: Cornell

Employee Resource Group (ERG)– An employer-sponsored or –recognized affinity group of those who share the interests and concerns common to those of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
From: Harvard University

Environmental Justice– The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
From: SAMHSA

Environmental Racism– The disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color.
From: SAMHSA

ESL– English as a Second Language

Ethnicity– A socially or politically constructed group based on cultural criteria, such as language, customs, and shared history.
From: UW Foster

Ethnocentrism– The emotional attitude that one’s own race, nation, or culture is superior to all others.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Equity–
i) The fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation of some groups.
From: UW Environment
ii) Resources are distributed based on the tailored needs of a specific audience. Equity recognizes that some communities will need more—or different—access compared to other communities.
From: SAMHSA

Euro-Centric– The inclination to consider European culture as normative. While the term does not imply an attitude of superiority (since all cultural groups have the initial right to understand their own culture as normative), most use the term with a clear awareness of the historic oppressiveness of Eurocentric tendencies in U.S and European society.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Feminism– The valuing of women and the belief in and advocacy for social, political, and economic equality and liberation for both women and men. Feminism questions and challenges patriarchal social values and structures that serve to enforce and maintain men’s dominance and women’s subordination.
From: University of Pittsburgh

First-Generation Student– A college student with parents who do not have a Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution.

Gender Bias– Favoritism toward one gender over another. Most often, gender bias is the act of favoring men and/or boys over women and/or girls.
From: SAMHSA

Gender Dysphoria– The distress that a person experiences when the sex they were assigned at birth (by way of anatomy) does not match their gender identity. A person may experience various degrees of dysphoria with respect to different parts of their anatomy. For example, a female-bodied person may experience dysphoria with their breasts and voice but not genitalia.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Gender Expression– The physical manifestation of gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc.
From: SAMHSA

Gender Identity– A person’s internal understanding and perception of their gender. This understanding can be aligned with the social conditioning around their assigned sex at birth — what’s known as being cisgender — or it can be different from the social conditioning around their assigned sex at birth, which can encompass identities that are considered nonbinary, transgender, trans, gender nonconforming, or others.
From: Cornell

Gender-Neutral or Gender-Inclusive– Inclusive language to describe relationships (spouse and partner instead of husband/boyfriend and wife/girlfriend), spaces (gender-neutral/inclusive restrooms are for use by all genders), pronouns (they and ze are gender neutral/inclusive pronouns) among other things.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Gender Nonconforming or Gender Non-binary– A way of identifying and/or expressing oneself outside the binary gender categories of male/masculine and female/feminine.
From: Harvard University

Growth Mindset– As summarized by psychologist Carol Dweck who coined the term, “Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts). This is because they worry less about looking smart and they put more energy into learning. When entire companies embrace a growth mindset, their employees report feeling far more empowered and committed; they also receive far greater organizational support for collaboration and innovation.”
From: Cornell

Hate Crime– a crime motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of the victim.
From: University of Pittsburgh

HBCU- Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Homophobia– The irrational fear, dislike, hatred, aversion, intolerance, and ignorance of homosexuality.
From: UW Foster

HSI– Hispanic Serving Institution

Implicit Bias (or Unconscious Bias)- Attitudes and stereotypes that influence judgment, decision-making, and behavior in ways that are outside of conscious awareness and/or control.
From: Harvard University

Inclusion– The act or practice of behaviors and social norms that ensure people feel welcome. In the workplace, inclusion is the achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.
From: SAMHSA

Inclusive Language– Refers to non-sexist language or language that “includes” all persons in its references. For example, “a writer needs to proofread his work” excludes females due to the masculine reference of the pronoun. Likewise, “a nurse must disinfect her hands” is exclusive of males and stereotypes nurses as females.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Indigenous– People who share ancestral relationships and ties to the physical land and resources they currently occupy or from which they have been displaced due to historic colonization and conflict.
From: Cornell

Institutional Racism– Includes discriminatory treatment, unfair policies, or biased practices based on race that result in inequitable outcomes for white people over people of color and extend considerably beyond prejudice. These institutional policies typically do not mention any racial group, but the intent is to create advantages. Occurs in an organization. An example is a school system where students of color are more frequently distributed into the most crowded classrooms or underfunded schools and out of the schools with greater resources.
From: Cornell

Intent vs. Impact– Our intentions (what we want or hope to do) don’t always align with what we say or do which can impact how others receive what one says and does.
– Intent refers to what you hope or want to do when choosing to perform an action
– Impact refers to the reality (e.g. results) of your actions/ behaviors.
The resulting impact may not always align with what you intended. Owning the impact: When one’s impact is being called into question, especially if the action is perpetuating oppression, it is important to recognize the action is being called into question not the person/overall character.
From: UW Foster

Internalized Racism– When individuals from targeted racial groups internalize racist beliefs about themselves or members of their racial group. Examples include using creams to lighten one’s skin, believing that white leaders are inherently more competent, asserting that individuals of color are not as intelligent as white individuals, believing that racial inequality is the result of individuals of color not raising themselves up “by their bootstraps”. (Jackson & Hardiman, 1997).
From: University of Pittsburgh

Intersectionality– The complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, and their multiple effects on the same individuals or groups. Also refers to the view that overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination and inequality can more effectively be addressed together.
From: Harvard University

Islamophobia– The irrational fear or hatred of Islam, Muslims, Islamic traditions, and practices, and, more broadly, those who appear to be Muslim.
From: University of Pittsburgh

“Isms”– A way of describing any attitude, action or institutional structure that oppresses a person or group because of their target group. For example, race (racism), gender (sexism), economic status (classism), older age (ageism), religion (e.g., anti-Semitism), sexual orientation (heterosexism), language/immigrant status (xenophobism), etc.
From: UW Environment

Justice– The establishment or determination of rights according to rules of law and standards of equity; the process or result of using laws to fairly judge crimes and criminality.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Latinx or Latine– A gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina to describe a person of Latin American origin or descent.
From: Harvard University

LGBTQIA+– “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transexual, queer/questioning, intersex, and allied/asexual/aromantic/agender.”
From: UW Foster

Marginalized Identities– Members of social identity groups who are discriminated against, treated as insignificant, excluded, oppressed, classified in defined roles, or exploited by an oppressor and the oppressor’s system of institutions without identity apart from the target group.
From: Cornell

Major Bodily Functions– This term includes, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Major Life Activities– This term includes caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Microaggression– A comment or action that unconsciously or unintentionally expresses or reveals a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group, such as a racial minority. These small, common occurrences include insults, slights, stereotyping, undermining, devaluing, delegitimizing, overlooking or excluding someone. Over time, microaggressions can isolate and alienate those on the receiving end, and affect their health and wellbeing.
From: Harvard University

Microaffirmation– A microaffirmation is a small gesture of inclusion, caring or kindness. They include listening, providing comfort and support, being an ally and explicitly valuing the contributions and presence of all. It is particularly helpful for those with greater power or seniority to “model” affirming behavior.
From: Harvard University

Misgendering– Referring to or using language to describe a transgender person that doesn’t align with their affirmed gender—for example, calling a transgender woman “he” or “him.”
From: SAMHSA

Misogyny– Hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women. Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Multiracial– A person who identifies as coming from two or more racial groups; a person whose biological parents come from different racial groups.
From: University of Pittsburgh

National Origin– The political state from which an individual hails; may or may not be the same as that the person’s current location or citizenship.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Nativism– Prejudiced thoughts or discriminatory actions that benefit or show preference to individuals born in a territory over those who have migrated into said territory.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Neurodiversity– The awareness that every person’s brain operates differently. Neurodiversity encourages people to recognize that everyone may have different methods of learning or remembering information, as well as different ways of processing information and socially interacting with others.
Examples of neurodiverse identities include, but are not limited to, people who identify as experiencing autism, ADHD, ADD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, sensory-processing sensitivity, and Tourette’s Syndrome.
From: Cornell

Nonverbal Cues– All types of communication that do not have a direct verbal translation, including body language, position, and movements; facial expressions; and movement of objects.
From: Cornell

Norms– A standard or pattern, especially of social behavior, that is typical or expected of a group.
From: Cornell

Oppression- The systemic and pervasive nature of social inequality woven throughout social institutions as well as embedded within individual consciousness. Oppression fuses institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry and social prejudice in a complex web of relationships and structures.
From: UW Foster

Pansexuality– The romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people regardless of their gender.
From: UW Foster

Patriarchy– Actions and beliefs that prioritizes masculinity. Patriarchy is practiced systemically in the ways and methods through which power is distributed in society (jobs and positions of power given to men in government, policy, criminal justice, etc.) while also influencing how we interact with one another interpersonally (gender expectations, sexual dynamics, space-taking, etc.).
From: UW Environment

Performative Allyship– When an individual or group of power/majority/privilege (e.g., white, male, able-bodied, straight, etc) loudly profess(es) their actions in the name of ‘allyship,’ while actively conducting harm to, taking focus away from, and generally being unhelpful towards the group they claim to support, often to receive praise and attention, without taking critical action to dismantle the systems of harm.
From: UW Foster

Permanent Resident– Any person not a citizen of the United States who is residing in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent resident as an immigrant. Also known as permanent resident alien, resident alien permit holder, and green card holder.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Personal Identity– Our identities as individuals‐including our personal characteristics, history, personality, name, and other characteristics that make us unique and different from other individuals.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Power Dynamics– Refers to how power can affect a relationship between two or more people, usually when one side may be exerting more power than the other.
From: Cornell

Privileged Identities– Groups that hold 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, those with privileged social identities have historically occupied positions of dominance over others.
From: Cornell

Pronouns– Words to refer to a person after initially using their name. Because many personal pronouns have gender (e.g., she, her), people generally like others to use pronouns that match their gender. In addition to “she/her,” personal pronouns include “he/him” and gender-neutral pronouns, such as “ze/hir” or “they/them.” Some people use specific pronouns, any pronouns, or none at all. Some people state their pronoun preferences as a form of allyship.
From: Harvard University & SAMHSA

Protected Status– A characteristic that, in accordance with federal and state law, is protected from discrimination and harassment: age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Psychological Safety– Creating and allowing for a space where team members feel comfortable showing ones full, authentic self, and surface problematic behaviors, without fear of negative consequences from employers or coworkers.
From: Cornell

Queer– A range of genders and sexualities who may not identify with a specific LGBT+ label. It acknowledges the fluidity of gender and sexuality, including people who are not exclusively straight and/or non-binary people. Previously used as a slur, this term is now used by choice and with pride by parts of the LGBTQ+ community.
From: SAMHSA

Queer Theory– A theoretical approach that critically deconstructs and challenges binaries such as male and female or heterosexual and homosexual.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Questioning– An identity label for a person who is exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity and is in a state of moratorium in terms of identity formation.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Race–
Racial categorization schemes were invented by scientists to support worldviews that considered some groups of people as superior and some as inferior. There are three important concepts linked to this fact:

i) Race is a made-up social construct, not an actual biological fact.
ii) Race designations have changed over time. Some groups that are considered “white” in the United States today were considered “nonwhite” in previous eras. This type of intentional racialization was connected to acts of genocide and discrimination.
iii) The way in which racial categorizations are enforced (the shape of racism) has also changed overtime. For example, the racial designation of Asian American and Pacific Islander changed four times in the 19th century. In other words, they were defined at times as white and at other times as not white. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as designated groups, have been used by whites at different times in history to compete with African American labor.
From: Cornell

Racial Equity– The societal condition in which the distribution of resources and opportunities is neither determined nor predicted by race, and in which structures and practices in society provide true fairness.
From: SAMHSA

Racial Profiling– The use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Racism– An umbrella term for individual, institutional, and systemic forms of racial prejudice. Any idea that suggests one racial group is inferior or superior to another racial group in any way. (Adapted from Ibram X. Kendi.) Other definitions include the idea that racism is the result of racial prejudice plus institutional power (Patricia Bidol, 1970).
From: Cornell

Reasonable Accommodation– Any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodation also includes adjustments to assure that a qualified individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees without disabilities.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Refugee– A person that flees a country out of fear for their safety either for economic or political reasons, or due to a natural disaster, or because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Safe Space– Refers to an environment in which everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and participating fully, without fear of attack, ridicule or denial of experience.
From: UW Environment

Scapegoating– The action of blaming an individual or group for something when, in reality, there is no one person or group responsible for the problem. It targets another person or group as responsible for problems in society because of that person’s group identity.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Screen Reader– An assistive technology, primarily used by people with vision impairments, that converts text, buttons, images, and other screen elements into speech or braille.
From: Cornell

Sex– An identity category typically assigned to someone at birth based upon their genitalia. This includes a broad category known as intersex, which refers to when someone’s genitalia does not neatly fit into the binary male and female categories people are typically aware of.
From: Cornell

Sex Assigned at Birth (SAAB)– The biological category (female, male, or intersex) given at birth based on biological characteristics (i.e., physical anatomy and hormones).
From: SAMHSA

Sexual Orientation– A person’s preference in sexual partners. Sexual orientation identities can evolve over time as someone has more sexual experiences or discovers attractions to different sorts of people. Sexual orientation also includes a spectrum of asexuality, where some people may find that they prefer not to engage in sexual acts or prefer their engagement to exist in a specific personal context.
Some examples include, but are not limited to: heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, homosexual, pansexual, queer, asexual, demisexual, and graysexual.
From: Cornell

Social Justice– A form of activism, based on principles of equity and inclusion that encompasses a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure. Social justice involves social actors who have a sense of their own agency as well as a sense of social responsibility toward and with others.
From: UW Environment

Stereotype– A form of generalization rooted in blanket beliefs and false assumptions, a product of processes of categorization that can result in a prejudiced attitude, critical judgment and intentional or unintentional discrimination. Stereotypes are typically negative, based on little information and does not recognize individualism and personal agency.
From: UW Environment

Structural inequality– Systemic disadvantage(s) of one social group compared to other groups, rooted and perpetuated through discriminatory practices (conscious or unconscious) that are reinforced through institutions, ideologies, representations, policies/laws and practices. When this kind of inequality is related to racial/ethnic discrimination, it is referred to as systemic or structural racism.
From: UW Environment

System of Oppression– Conscious and unconscious, non-random and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups. Sometimes is used to refer to systemic racism.
From: UW Environment

Transgender– An umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity is something other than their Sex Assigned at Birth (SAAB). Use the name and personal pronouns transgender people use for themselves. If you aren’t sure which pronouns to use, ask politely.
From: Harvard University & SAMHSA

Transphobia– The fear or hatred of persons perceived to be transgender and/or transsexual.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Two-spirit– Used by some Native Americans to refer to Native Americans who have both a male and a female spirit, or qualities of both genders. While the term was coined in 1990, it is an umbrella term to encompass various terms used for generations in some Native American tribes to identify people who embodied two or more, or alternate, genders. Not all Native Americans or Native American tribes use or recognize the term.
From: SAMHSA

Under-Represented Minorities (URM)– Some institutions have defined sub-groups within larger racial/ethnic minority groups that are particularly under-represented relative to their size. For example, in a given field, Mexican-Americans may be an under-represented minority, even if
Hispanic people are otherwise proportionately represented.
From: Harvard University

Undocumented– A foreign-born person living in a country without legal citizenship status.
From: SAMHSA

Undocumented Student– School-aged immigrants who entered the United States without inspection/overstayed their visas and are present in the United States with or without their parents. They face unique legal uncertainties and limitations within the United States educational system.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Union– A formal organization of workers that is formed to protect the rights of its members.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Universal Design– Ensures that an environment can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people
From: Harvard University

Upward Mobility (or Upward Social Mobility)– An individual’s or group’s (e.g., family) rise within the hierarchy that increases their level of class, power, or status.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Veteran Status– Whether or not an individual has served in a nation’s armed forces (or other uniformed service).
From: University of Pittsburgh

White Fragility– Coined by Robin D’Angelo, it describes the privilege that accrues to white people living in a society that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. D’Angelo argues that this builds an expectation of always feeling comfortable and safe, which in turn lowers the ability to tolerate racial stress and triggers a range of defensive reactions.
From: Harvard University

White Privilege– 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.
From: UW Foster

White Supremacy– A power system structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as White, whether consciously or subconsciously determined; and who feel superior to those of other racial/ethnic identities.
From: UW Environment

Xenophobia– A culturally based fear of outsiders. It has often been associated with the hostile reception given to those who immigrate into societies and communities. It could result from genuine fear of strangers or it could be based on things such as competition for jobs, or ethnic, racial, or religious prejudice.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Yes Means Yes– A phrase that defines sexual consent as an “affirmative, unambiguous, and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity” according to California state legislation; ‘yes means yes’ shifts the responsibility of confirming consent from just one party to all parties involved.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Ze– Gender neutral pronouns that can be used instead of he/she.
From: University of Pittsburgh

Zir– Gender neutral pronouns that can be used instead of his/her.
From: University of Pittsburgh

The terms contained in this glossary have been gathered from the following resources:

• Cornell University Human Resources
• Harvard University Human Resources
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• University of Pittsburgh Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• University of Washington College of the Environment
• University of Washington Foster School of Business

• Center for Creative Leadership
• The Wright Center
• The Diversity Movement
• The Society for Diversity
• Society of Human Resources Management