Ageism - Deep and profound prejudice against older adults. Discrimination based solely on age.

Ally - Someone who speaks on behalf of a group in which they are not a member. 

Anti‐Semitism -The fear or hatred of Jews, Judaism and related symbols.

Bias – A belief or preference that is applied to a group or individual.

Bisexual - A person who is attracted to people of their own gender as well as another gender.

Cisgender - A person whose gender identity and often gender expression matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

Class – A measure of wealth through property, inheritance, family support, investments, or other wealth not directly associated to wage earning.

Color Blind - The belief in treating everyone “equally” by treating everyone the same and ignoring differences (i.e., “I don’t see race, gender, etc.”).

Cultural Appreciation – Learning about a different culture and its traditions. To increase understanding about a culture and embracing it in a respectful manner.

Cultural Appropriation – Taking from a marginalized group without permission, and usually with little respect for or knowledge about the culture.

Cultural competence(y) - The ability to interact with different cultures (such as speaking the native language of a foreign country).  

Culture - An adaptable set of shared ideas, customs, language, traditions, beliefs, and practices shared by a group of people. 

Disability - A mental or physical difference that limits a person’s ability to perform a task.

Discrimination - Treating individuals or groups based on specific characteristics. Typically used as a negative term but is present in almost all decision-making.

Diversity - The unique differences among individuals in a group. There are countless visible and invisible facets of diversity. Not a description of an individual (e.g., “diverse candidate”).

Ethnicity - A group of people that identify with one another based on shared identity related to social and cultural heritage (such as values, language, geographical space, racial characteristics).

Ethnocentrism - A tendency to hold one’s culture as superior to others. Can be the basis of biases and prejudices.

Equity - An approach that ensures everyone is given equal opportunity; resources may be divided and shared unequally to make sure that each person has access to an opportunity. Equity takes into account that people have different access to resources. 

Gender Identity - The internal perception of one’s gender; how a person labels themselves. 

Homophobia - The fear or hatred of homosexuality (and other nonheterosexual identities) and persons perceived to be gay or lesbian.

Implicit Bias - The attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Take the Harvard Implicit Association Test 

Inclusion - Ensuring everyone feels welcomed and valued for who they are. Inclusion is not merely tolerating differences but valuing the contribution of each member. 

Intersectionality - The interconnected nature of identity and the systems of power and privilege. A salient quote on intersectionality is Audre Lorde’s quote “There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

Islamophobia - The fear or hatred of Muslims, Islam and related symbols.

LGBTQIA - An inclusive term for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual.

Marginalized – A group that is excluded, ignored or relegated to the outer edge of the dominant culture.

Microaggressions - Subtle, often unconscious everyday behaviors that unintentionally denigrate someone from a non-dominant group. Fusion’s Microaggression video 

Prejudice - A preconceived judgment about a person or group of people, usually indicating negative bias.

Privilege - The freedom from stress, or harm related to your identity as part of a dominant group. Awareness of having privilege is not required to benefit from the privilege. Example: As a man, I can raise my voice without being labeled “emotional.”

Race – A social and historic construct that conflates physical characteristics with behavior and culture. 

Racism – Actions that result from a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Sexism - Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on a difference in sex/gender, usually by men against women.

Transgender - A person whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. 

Xenophobia - The fear or hatred of foreigners.