Words matter. Especially when they’re the words we use to educate our children.

Of course, this is why the books we give our children matters so much. We have to remain watchful for racism and bias that blatantly—and subtly—makes its way into the literature we share with our families. Having been influenced by our own childhood education and surrounding influences, we have to remain just as watchful about what we say. We may think our words are innocuous, but the more we seek to wield the power of words wisely, the better it will be for everyone, our families included.

With that in mind, here are some common words that may have made their way into your vocabulary that should be finding their way out of it soon.

Say enslaved person, not slave. When studying history or reading older books, it remains common to come across references to “slaves,” suggesting that their identities were tied to their circumstances. By referring to them as “enslaved people” instead, you are teaching your children about the injustice that the system of slavery represents, wherein humans were treated as property rather than people.

Say enslaver, not master or owner. By saying “owner” or “master,” you empower the one committing injustice (and worse), once again dehumanizing the enslaved person. The term “enslaver” does not equate their actions with positive power as “owner” and “master” do, but connects it instead with the evil of enslavement. There are several other references that evoke this colonial idea, too, including real estate phrases like “master bedroom” and “master bathroom,” which are worth retiring.

Say Native or Indigenous, not indian. When referring to Indigenous people such as Native Americans and First Nations, try to use their native tribe’s name rather than outdated terms like “indian.” The American premise of “cowboys and indians” shared regularly in storybooks often referred to Native people as “savages,” “enemies,” and worse. By referring to them instead as “Native” and “Indigenous” people, you are telling the truth that they were here long before those who colonized, killed, and stole from them.

Say freedom seeker, not fugitive or outlaw. When you use the the term “fugitive” or “outlaw,” it clearly connotes that such a person is a law breaker requiring capture and punishment—which is what was used to assert that the law was on the side of the enslavers in society. Replacing these words with “freedom seeker” illuminates what it was that enslaved people and those who took part in abolition movements such as the Underground Railroad were actually doing. They were not breaking the law, they were seeking to make freedom a reality.

Avoid classist terms like ghetto or low class. In history, “ghettos” were real neighborhoods where Jewish people were relegated and segregated from the broader population. In more modern vernacular, “ghetto” has come to be associated with (typically Black) people, manners, and behaviors that some see as less refined. By replacing this type of classist language with words like “improving” and other less inflammatory synonyms, you avoid comparisons that set broad, typically white ideals as the only standard to pursue.

As a more general rule, avoid words and phrases that associate black with bad, and white with good. This brief video of Muhammad Ali illustrates the point cogently…

There are so many more examples than these concepts alone. We haven’t even touched on the checkered past of words like cakewalk, dumb, gyp, guru, lame, powwow, and uppity, phrases such as no can do, grandfathered in, and peanut gallery, or even so-called “Americana” like the ice cream truck song. Society is rife with harmful words, ideas, and symbolism.

Still, this list is a good start, especially when it comes to teaching your own children history. While the replacement words may seem subtle, they are powerful ways of affirming what’s true and right, marching onward in the fight for equity. Don’t stop putting in the work and learning as you go. As with many of history’s greatest stories, this work is always to be continued.

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Notes:
1: For an even broader list of terms that are outdated and should be reconsidered, read this helpful article from ABC 7.
2: You may also wish to check out our read this, not that book list in your efforts to substitute more diverse stories, not just language.