WHITE SUPREMACY: White supremacy is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent; for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power and privilege.

[criticisms and comments appear like this throughout the list. roxanne: The white supremacy definition seems a bit off to me. Besides being a system, it is an ideology that also affects the victims in that it diminishes their own self worth, as white superiority appears as "naturalized." The other element missing seems to me is ruling classes in those European nations. I also don't think that "white peoples" is a legitimate term, maybe white people or white groups but peoples implies legitimate nationhood. Restricting white supremacy to the European continent is wrong as the US, Canada, all the capitalist-developed Latin American countries, Australia, and New Zealand are also white supremacist republics.]

WHITE (as in "white people"): The term white, referring to people, was created by Virginia slave owners and colonial rulers in the 17th century. It replaced terms like Christian and "Englishman" (sic) to distinguish European colonists from Africans and indigenous peoples. European colonial powers established white as a legal concept after Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 during which indentured servants of European and African descent had united against the colonial elite. The legal distinction of white separated the servant class on the basis of skin color and continental origin. "The creation of 'white' meant giving privileges to some, while denying them to others with the justification of biological and social inferiority. (Margo Adair & Sharon Powell, The Subjective Side of Politics. SF: 1988. p.17.)

[nadine: This one is actually "incorrect" - the whiteness and blackness were being defined all over the American colonies during this same period, for the same reasons. For example, the French adopted the Code Noir [Black Edict] in 1685, which set down certain rules regarding slavery and the status of enslaved Africans - hence defining "black" as "slave" from the get go. Those who get a kick out of reading sick documents can check out the full text at http://www.windowsonhaiti.com/index.html?http://www.windowsonhaiti.com/codenoir.htm (in French). So I'd rewrite it and say that it was being defined by European colonialists all over, and use the case in Virigina as a specific example.]

WHITE PRIVILEGE: A privilege is a right, favor, advantage, immunity, specially granted to one individual or group, and withheld from another. (Websters) White privilege is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of: (1) Preferential prejudice for and treatment of white people based solely on their skin color and/or ancestral origin from Europe; and (2) Exemption from racial and/or national oppression based on skin color and/or ancestral origin from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Arab world.
U.S. institutions and culture (economic, legal, military, political, educational, entertainment, familial and religious) privilege peoples from Europe over peoples from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Arab world. In a white supremacy system, white privilege and racial oppression are two sides of the same coin. "White peoples were exempt from slavery, land grab and genocide, the first forms of white privilege (in the future US)." (Virginia Harris and Trinity Ordoña, "Developing Unity among Women of Color: Crossing the Barriers of Internalized Racism and Cross Racial Hostility," in Making Face, Making Soul: Hacienda Caras. Edited by Gloria Anzaldúa. SF: Aunt Lute Press, 1990. p. 310).

RACE: A specious classification of human beings created by Europeans (whites) which assigns human worth and social status using 'white' as the model of humanity and the height of human achievement for the purpose of establishing and maintaining privilege and power. (Ronald Chisom and Michael Washington, Undoing Racism: A Philosophy of International Social Change. People's Institute Press. People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. 1444 North Johnson Street. New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116. 1997. Second Edition. p. 30-31.)

[nadine: I'd change this slightly - in Cheik Ante Diop's studies of ancient Egypt, there were documents found that Egyptians "recognized" the existence of different "races" - without, however, instituting a hierarchy between these groups. Also, using race to build racism isn't specific to Europeans [see Japanese imperialism in Asia]. I find it really important to make this point because racism, like many forms of oppression, won't necessarily disappear with white supremacy. Black supremacy could very well follow - the only thing that would keep that from happening is material and political barriers, not because people of colour are inherently anti-racist. Racism is an institution shared by all of humanity, and has existed between different groups at different times. Tying it solely to white supremacy seems dangerous, to me.]

PREJUDICE: A prejudice is a pre-judgment in favor of or against a person, a group, an event, an idea, or a thing. An action based on prejudgment is discrimination. A negative prejudgment is often called a stereotype. An action based on a stereotype is called bigotry. (What distinguishes this group of terms from all the others on these two pages is that there is no power relationship necessarily implied or expressed by "prejudice," discrimination," "stereotype" or "bigotry.")

POWER: ("Power" is a relational term. It can only be understood as a relationship between human beings in a specific historical, economic and social setting. It must be exercised to be visible.)
1.Power is control of, or access to, those institutions sanctioned by the state. (Definition by Barbara Major of People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, New Orleans)
2.Power is the ability to define reality and to convince other people that it is their definition. (Definition by Dr. Wade Nobles)
3.Power is ownership and control of the major resources of a state; and the capacity to make and enforce decisions based on this ownership and control; and (Alternative definition to #1)
4.Power is the capacity of a group of people to decide what they want and to act in an organized way to get it.
5.(In terms of an individual), power is the capacity to act.

RACISM: Racism is race prejudice plus power. (Definition, by People's Institute. I use "white supremacy" as a synonym for racism.)

INTERNALIZED RACISM: (1) The poison of racism seeping into the psyches of people of color, until people of color believe about themselves what whites believe about them -- that they are inferior to whites; (2) The behavior of one person of color toward another that stems from this psychic poisoning. Often called "inter-racial hostility;" and (3) The acceptance by persons of color of Eurocentric values. (See Harris and Ordoira, op. cit. pp. 304-3 16.)

REVERSE RACISM: A term created and used by white people to deny their white privilege. Those in denial use the term reverse racism to refer to hostile behavior by people of color toward whites, and to affirmative action policies which allegedly give 'preferential treatment' to people of color over whites. In the U.S., there is no such thing as "reverse racism."

[nadine: Why specify "in the U.S."? Not only is it unnecessary, but I know specific cases of white people crying reverse racism at Third World peoples For example - the fact the Haitians in general have started to be not-so-nice to the "brave white folk" who come to our country was being called "racist", on a Haiti discussion list, no less.]

A RACIST: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality. By this definition, people of color cannot be racists, because as peoples within the U.S. system, they do not have the power to back up their prejudices, hostilities or acts of discrimination. (This does not deny the existence of such prejudices, hostilities, acts of rage or discrimination.)

[nadine: Again, no need to specificy the U.S., cuz this is true the world over - we've got the international institutions to prove it!]

A NON-RACIST: A non-term. The term was created by whites to deny responsibility for systemic racism, to maintain an aura of innocence in the face of racial oppression, and to shift responsibility for that oppression from whites to people of color (called "blaming the victim"). Responsibility for perpetuating and legitimizing a racist system rests both on those who actively maintain it, and on those who refuse to challenge it. Silence is consent.

AN ANTI-RACIST: (As applied to white people), an anti-racist is a person who makes a conscious choice to act to challenge some aspect of the white supremacy system: including her/his own white privilege, as well as some form of oppression against people of color. (As applied to people of color), some use the term anti-racist. Others use synonyms such as freedom fighter, activist, warrior, liberation fighter, political prisoner, prisoner of war, sister, brother, etc. In practice, it is difficult for an activist of color not to be an anti-racist activist, since the struggle against racial oppression intersects with every issue affecting people of color.

OPPRESSOR, OPPRESSED, OPPRESSION: An oppressor is one who uses her/his power to dominate another, or who refuses to use her/his power to challenge that domination. An oppressed is one who is dominated by an oppressor, and by those who consent with their silence. Oppression is the power and the effects of domination. In the U.S., there are many forms of (often) interlocking oppressions: racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, anti-semitism, ablism, ageism, etc.
In a white supremacist, capitalist, male supremacist, and heterosexist system, all non-ruling class whites are in some way oppressed by that system, but we are also privileged by it. When we organize against our own oppression, but not against our privilege -- that is, against the oppression of people of color, we become oppressors of people of color. Inaction is complicity. Silence is consent. To cease being oppressors, we must act against oppression. (See "The Strategy of the Slave Owners.")

POWER IMBALANCE: When certain groups or individuals are privilege to unearned power, which places them in a dominant position in relation to other members of society. Involves the power over others, such that certain groups may be accorded a certain amount of illegitimate power, whether particular individuals choose to have that power or not.

PRIVILEGE: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we're taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it.

OPPRESSION: Illegitimate institutionalized power, built and perpetuated throughout the course of history. Allows certain 'groups' to confer illegitimate dominance over other 'groups', and this dominance is maintained and perpetuated at an institutional level.

SYSTEMIC: Refers to systems of power maintained at the structural level of society. Something is referred to as systemic when it is deeply embedded in a given system, such that its presence may be subtle as opposed to explicit.

INSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE: The use of power to cause harm (ie. violation of human rights) and to enforce structural oppression.

SILENCING: Situations in which people from dominant social groupings dominate discussions or dominate space (Caitlyn Hewitt-White)

ACCESSIBILITY: The state of being open to meaningful participation by all people, in particular people whose participation (in this activity or in society at general) is usually limited by oppression of some kind. Accessibility in general means being free of barriers into [which can be placed by the group inadvertently or advertently (e.g. lack of childcare or a members-only policy) and/or can be placed by society (e.g. housing must be paid for rather than being a right, etc.)] ... AND free of limits to participation once present(e.g. a university with a Eurocentric curriculum is not accessible to Native students even if there is funding for them to get there.)
Sometimes the term "accessibility" is used with specific reference to the needs of people with disabilities. A space cannot be deemed "accessible" in this sense if the atmosphere is ableist, even if measures are in place (e.g. wheelchair-accessible entrance/facilities that are safe and dignified, Braille/large-print/audio-tape resources, TTY and sign language interpretation).

RACISM: Racism is not primarily a set of negative attitudes or behaviours on the part of individual whites. These negative attitudes and behaviours are grievous and sometimes fatal, but they are in fact symptoms of a system whose purpose is not merely to make people of colour feel badly but to maintain white power and control. (Barbara Smith)

[lily: the negative attitudes/behaviors and hate generated towards people of color seem to me to be a tool . It also makes more sense to me that when talking about racism we're also talking about a systematic hierarchy of power.]

CULTURAL IMPERIALISM: Imposition of a dominant (i.e. white) culture on others, rendering other cultures subordinate, invisible or exotic. Results from social and economic power differences and may include language (i.e. English), values, customs, religions, dress, icons, art forms, etc.

[lily: I think it's important to recognize that imposition of "dominant" cultures (politically and economically) on other cultures has historically happened everywhere around the globe (china, eastern europe, south america, etc.). So I would caution identifying the dominant culture as "white" cuz it's only an example of such, and also cuz it's a pretty loaded term. (what is "white" culture?) Also, the rendering of "the other" as "exotic", I think, could be a cause AND (definitely) a result of cultural appropriation, not cultural imperialism.]

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: Theft of cultural elements for one's own use, commodification, or profit -- including symbols, art, language, customs, etc. -- often without understanding, acknowledgement, or respect for its value in the original culture. Results from the assumption of a dominant (i.e. white) culture's right to take other cultural elements.

AGEISM: The normalization and privilege of people within the preferred age range in a society. This age range defines who is taken seriously, catered to by most goods and services, allowed to have an impact on decisions in the society, and valued as a human being. Results in invisibility of, and discrimination and inaccessibility faced by, people outside that age range.

SEXISM: Perpetuates a system of patriarchy where men hold power and privilege and women are subordinate to men.

INTERNALIZED SEXISM: Refers to the "internalization" of gender role socialization and sexism.

REVERSE SEXISM: Term created to deny sexism. Fails to acknowledge that the word sexism exists because we live in a patriarchal society where men are dominant and women are subordinate (and where men are privileged simply because they are men).

HETEROSEXISM: "The belief in the inherent superiority of heterosexuality and thereby its rights to dominance" (Canadian Council for Refugees). Describes an ideological system and patterns of institutionalized oppression which deny, denigrate, and stigmatize any nonheterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship, or community.

HOMOPHOBIA: The fear and persecution of queer people. Rooted in a desire to maintain the heterosexual social order, which relies on oppressive gender roles.

TRANSPHOBIA: The fear and persecution of transgender/transexual persons. Rooted in a desire to maintain the gender binary (i.e. the categories 'male' and 'female'), which obscures the reality of the fluidity of gender and invisibilizes the experience of persons who do not identify with either category.

CLASSISM: refers to the ideological belief that people deserve the privilege or oppression of their class based on their "merit", "social status", level of education, job, work ethic, etc... Although many people suffer under capitalism, classism is relative, eg. student "poverty". Classism also refers to the social dynamic of privilege, or elitism. Access to knowledge or to education, the privilege to choose when to be an "activist", when to be risk taking (eg. risk arrest), and the use of exclusive language (i.e. "activist" language, acronyms, "academic" language) are examples of elitism embedded in class privilege.

[chris d: The point about classism being relative is really important, but I think it needs more clarification. There is a lot of posturing among downwardly-mobile white, middle-class activists that amounts to concealing class origins and effectively denying privilege. As I understand it, your example about student "poverty" hints at some of this kind of relativism. My view is tainted, I think, by living in the US, where "class" tends to be a dirty word, even among "radical" activists.]

ABLEISM: The normalization of able-bodied persons resulting in the privilege of "normal ability" and the oppression and exclusion of people with disabilities at many levels in society. Ableism involves both denying access to people with disabilities and exclusive attitudes of able-bodied persons.

HARASSMENT: Unwanted attention or behaviour, whether a single incident or an ongoing dynamic, which has the impact of creating a climate of hostility, jeopardizing someone's comfort, ability to participate, and/or access (e.g. in workplace, public place, service or event). Usually the perpetrator has more social power than the victim and/or direct power over the victim. Harassment can be directed specifically at a person/people (e.g. a comment or threat), or a more passive behaviour without a direct target (e.g. displaying a degrading poster).

TOKENISM: Presence without meaningful participation. For example, a superficial invitation for participation without ongoing dialogue and support, handpicked representatives who are expected to speak for the whole (socially oppressed) group (e.g. "tell us how women experience this issue"). Tokenism is often used as a band-aid solution to help the group improve its image (e.g. "we're not racist, look there's a person of colour on the panel.").

Many of the above definitions were adapted from definitions used by Sharon Martinas and Chris Crass, trainers with the Challenging White Supremacy Workshop in San Franscisco, USA.

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The following definitions are adapted from "Women's Education in the Global Economy", a (WONDERFUL) popular education book by the Women of Color Resource Center in California, USA. www.coloredgirls.org

Global economy refers to the expansion of economies beyond national borders, in particular, the expansion of production by transnational corporations to many countries around the world. The global economy includes the globalization of production, markets, finance, communications, and the labor force.

Global economic restructuring refers to a specific set of policies promoted by governments, corporations, financial institutions, and the economic elite to promote a particular model of economic development - that of global capitalism. This model promotes free trade, production for the global market, cuts in social services, deregualtion, privatization, etc.

Capitalism is an economic system in which products are produced for profit using privately owned capital goods and wage labor. Capitalism is the main economic system in North America, as well as in most other countries.

Contingent workers are people who are employed based on the needs of the employer, without any job security or long-term commitments. Includes part-time workers, temporary and contract workers, and, in some cases, self-employed workers and independent contractors.

Developing country is one of many terms used to refer to nations of the "South," primarily former colonies that remain impoverished by a global economy dominated by Northern industrial nations. Other terms include "Third World" and "less developed countries." There is much debate about the appropriateness of all of these terms.

Economic justice is a conviction that economic policies must result in benefits that are distributed equally across income and racial lines; that jobs created by state and local tax incentives must go to local people and taxpayers; and that the health, natural resources, and the culture of the community must be protected.

Environmental justice is about equal and fair access to a healthy environment; equal enforcement of environmental regulations; and a movement to protect communities of colour and poor communities from environmental hazards.

Environmental racism refers to racial discrimination in environmental policy-making and the enforcement of regulations and laws; the deliberate targeting of communities of colour for toxic waste facilities; the official sanctioning of the life threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our communities; and the history of excluding people of colour from the leadership of the environmental movement.

Export processing zones are special areas created by some "Third World" governments to attract foreign investment in industry. In general, components area imported for assembly and export. Such zones generally offer tax breaks and weak environmental codes and labor rights, as investment incentives. Also referred to as "free trade zones" or "special processing zones."

Free trade is the reduction of regulations and other constraints on businesses to increase international trade. Also known as "trade liberalization." To liberalize trade is to reduce tariffs and other barriers, so nations can import and export without restraints.

Globalization is a term used to refer to the expansion of economies beyond national borders, in particular, the expansion of production by a firm to many countries around the world, i.e., globalization of production, or the "global assembly line." This has given transnational corporations power beyond nation-states, and has weakened any nation's ability to control corporate practices and flows of capital, set regulations, control balances of trade and exchange rates, or manage domestic economic policy. It has also weakened the ability of workers to fight for better wages and working conditions from fear that employers may relocate to other areas.

International Monetary Fund Founded in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference by the western industrial powers, the IMF administers and coordinates exchange rate policies and provides member states with financing to enable them to balance their trade payment. Today, the IMF acts as a financial policeman over the developing world, pushing for trade liberalization, debt payments, and privatization.

People of color (or "colour" in Canada) is a term used to refer to nonwhite people, used instead of the term "minority," which implies inferiority and disenfrancisement. The term emphasizes common experiences of racial discrimination or racism.

Popular literacy is a method of education that begins by processing people's lived experiences, collectively and critically evaluates that experience, draws connections to root causes of problems, and develops solutions. Distinct from education that views participants as "blank pages" and teachers as "experts."

Racism is power plus racial prejudice, a system that leads to the oppression of or discrimination against, specific racial or ethnic groups.

Tariff Government tax on imports or exports usually either to raise revenue or to protect domestic firms from foreign import competition. A tariff may also be designed to correct an imbalance of payments. The money collected under tariffs is called a duty or customs duty.

Transnational corporations (TNCs) are corporations that operate in more than one country. Usually, headquarters are in one or more nations and production or services are in other nations. TNCs have come to dominate the global economy and some large TNCs are richer and more powerful than many national government. Also referred to as "multinational corporations."

Underemployment Labour that is not fully utilized; encompasses individuals working below the level for which they have been trained, or individuals working fewer hours a day than they would prefer. Also includes the working poor whose long hours of labour generate inadequate income for basic subsistence.

World Bank Founded in 1944 in Bretton Woods conference between dominant "free world" powers, also known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Established to coordinate with several regional banks in the long-term development of nations. Provides long-term development loans.