Key Terms and Concepts in Race and Oppression

Race

A social construct used to divide people based on physical traits like skin color; not scientifically valid.

Oppression

Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment of a group by those in power.

Prejudice

A biased attitude toward a group without factual basis or personal experience.

Discrimination

Actions or policies that treat people unfairly based on group identity (race, gender, etc.).

Power

The ability to influence, control, or shape outcomes, behaviors, or institutions.

Internalized Superiority

When members of a dominant group believe they are better than others because of their identity.

Ally

A person who uses their privilege to support and stand with marginalized groups.

Historical Trauma

The emotional and psychological impact of collective, long-term suffering passed through generations.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 revolt in colonial Virginia where poor Black and white laborers united; led elites to use race to divide.

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote 'all men are created equal' but owned slaves and promoted ideas of white racial superiority.

Nonconcordant

The fact that physical traits like skin color do not predict other biological traits, proving race is not genetic.

Color Blindness

Ignoring race and its effects; claiming not to 'see' race while ignoring systemic racism.

Confirmation Bias

Only paying attention to information that confirms your existing beliefs, ignoring contradicting evidence.

Cultural Appropriation

Taking cultural elements (clothing, music, etc.) from a group—especially marginalized ones—without understanding or permission.

Stereotype

A fixed, oversimplified idea about a group (e.g., 'Black people are good at sports').

Model Minority Myth

The stereotype that all Asian Americans are successful, used to silence racism and pit minorities against each other.

Stereotype Threat

Anxiety or stress people feel when they fear confirming a negative stereotype about their identity.

Nat Turner

Leader of an 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia; symbol of resistance against slavery.

Frederick Douglass

A formerly enslaved abolitionist who wrote and spoke out against slavery and racism.

Minstrel Show

1800s racist entertainment where white performers in blackface mocked Black people.

Jim Crow

System of laws and customs that enforced segregation and disenfranchised Black Americans after slavery ended.

Implicit Bias

Unconscious attitudes that influence decisions and behaviors toward others, often based on stereotypes.

Privilege

Unearned advantages given to people based on identity (like whiteness, gender, wealth).

Meritocracy

The belief that success is only based on talent and hard work, ignoring social and structural barriers.

De Jure Segregation

Racial separation that is enforced by law.

De Facto Segregation

Racial separation that happens in practice (e.g., through housing or school systems), not by law.

Redlining

Discriminatory practice where banks refused loans to nonwhite neighborhoods, creating long-term racial wealth gaps.

Indentured Servitude

Involved working temporarily for freedom.

Slavery

Lifelong, hereditary, and based on race.

Racism in U.S. Founding Documents

The Constitution and Declaration excluded people of color, protected slavery, and shaped racism into law from the start.

Race as Scientifically Inaccurate

Physical traits do not align with intelligence or ability; race has no genetic basis and was used to justify inequality.

Hoffman's "Extinction Theory"

A racist theory that falsely claimed Black people were biologically doomed to die out, used to justify lack of support and segregation.

Legacy of Hoffman's Theory

Still influences racist ideas in science, health, and policy; supports myths of Black inferiority and health disparities.

Impact of Cultural Appropriation

Erases the original culture's meaning, profits off marginalized groups, and disrespects traditions.

Impact of Model Minority Myth

Covers up struggles of Asian Americans, enforces silence, and is used to deny racism against other groups.

African-American Caricatures in Media

Racist images in media shaped how Black people are viewed and treated, often as lazy, violent, or comedic.

Racial Wealth Gap

White families have far more wealth due to centuries of discriminatory practices like redlining, job segregation, and unequal education.