Glossary of Racial and Social Justice Terms

Glossary of Racial and Social Justice Terms

• Anti-Fatness - Prejudice and discrimination against individuals based on their body size, often leading to negative attitudes and unfair treatment.
• Advocacy Groups - Organizations that work to promote and protect the rights and access to services for marginalized communities.
• Body Image Discrimination - Negative attitudes or unfair treatment based on an individual’s body size or shape.
• Body Shaming - The act of criticizing or mocking someone’s body size or shape, which reinforces negative stereotypes and can harm self-esteem.
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Legislation that banned employment discrimination based on sex, race, and other factors, promoting workplace equality.
• Coverture - A historical legal principle where a married woman's legal identity was subsumed under her husband's, limiting her rights to property and earnings.
• Disparities - Significant differences in access to resources and quality of services experienced by different groups, often influenced by socioeconomic status and race.
• Economic Hardship - A condition of severe financial struggle and limited access to economic opportunities, which can be exacerbated by systemic inequalities.
• Equal Pay Act of 1963 - A U.S. law aimed at closing the wage gap between men and women performing the same job.
• Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) - A proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution aimed at guaranteeing equal rights regardless of sex, which was not ratified.
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 - Legislation that provided unpaid leave for family and medical care, recognizing the need for work-life balance.
• Firearms - Weapons, such as guns, that can cause fatal harm.
• Gender-Affirming Care - Medical care and services that support an individual’s gender identity, including hormone therapy, surgeries, and mental health support.
• Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy - Medical treatment involving hormones that helps align an individual’s physical traits with their gender identity.
• Gender-Affirming Surgery - Surgical procedures, such as chest augmentation or gender confirmation surgery, that help individuals achieve physical traits that align with their gender identity.
• Gender Dysphoria - The psychological distress experienced when an individual's gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth.
• Gun Control Measures - Regulations and policies designed to restrict access to firearms and ensure that only responsible individuals can obtain them, to prevent gun violence.
• Gun Violence - The use of firearms to commit violent acts, which can include attacks, threats, and intimidation, often leading to injury or death.
• Healthcare Reform - Efforts to improve and address systemic issues within the healthcare system to ensure equitable and quality care for all individuals.
• Inequitable Access - Unequal availability of quality healthcare services to different racial or ethnic groups, often resulting in disparities in care and outcomes.
• Insurance Coverage - The extent to which health insurance plans provide financial support for medical services, including those related to transgender care.
• Internalized Stigma - When individuals from marginalized groups adopt negative societal attitudes towards their own group, affecting their self-perception and behavior.
• Intersectionality - The concept that various forms of discrimination (e.g., based on race, body size, gender) intersect and overlap, creating unique experiences and challenges for individuals.
• Lautenberg Amendment - U.S. legislation prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from owning firearms.
• LGBTQ+ Groups - Organizations and communities that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
• Married Women’s Property Act - Legislation from the mid-1800s that began granting married women control over their property and earnings.
• Medical Abuse - Mistreatment by healthcare professionals that can be physical, emotional, or psychological, including neglect, inappropriate treatment, or disrespectful behavior.
• Medical Racism - Racial discrimination and bias within the healthcare system that results in unequal treatment and health outcomes for patients of different racial or ethnic backgrounds.
• Motherhood Penalty - The negative impact on career progression and earnings that mothers may experience due to perceived lower commitment or capability compared to peers without caregiving responsibilities.
• Multi-Pronged Approach - A strategy that employs multiple methods and actions to address a complex issue, aiming for comprehensive and effective solutions.
• National Organization for Women (NOW) - An organization founded in 1966 to advocate for women's rights and gender equality.
• Paycheck Fairness Act - A proposed law aimed at addressing and reducing wage disparities between men and women, which has been introduced several times but not yet passed.
• Patient Advocacy - The act of speaking up or fighting for one's own or another’s healthcare needs and rights, especially when facing challenges or injustices in the medical system.
• Policy Advocates - Individuals or groups that work to influence and change policies and legislation to support equitable access to healthcare and other services.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
• Public Transit - A system of transportation that is available for use by the general public, including buses, trains, and subways. It is often funded and managed by government agencies.
• Pulmonary Embolism - A serious medical condition where one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot, which can have life-threatening implications if not treated promptly.
• Redlining - A discriminatory practice where services (such as loans or insurance) are denied or restricted based on racial or ethnic composition of neighborhoods, historically affecting Black and minority communities.
• Racial Profiling - The discriminatory practice of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on their race or ethnicity.
• Segregation - The enforced separation of different racial or ethnic groups, historically evident in residential areas, schools, and public services.
• Stereotypes - Oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a group of people, often leading to harmful biases and discrimination.
• Systemic Issues - Deep-rooted problems within institutions, such as healthcare systems, that perpetuate inequalities and contribute to discriminatory practices.
• Systemic Reforms - Changes made to address and correct deep-seated issues within an institution or system to promote fairness and equity.
• Transportation Infrastructure - The physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of transportation systems, including roads, railways, and public transit facilities.
• Transgender Healthcare - A range of medical services designed to support individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth, including both medical and mental health care.
• Unpaid Caregiving Work - Responsibilities such as caring for children, elderly family members, and managing household tasks that are performed without financial compensation.
• White Supremacy - The belief that white people are superior to people of other races and should dominate society, often leading to discriminatory and violent actions against marginalized groups.