The following definitions are taken from trainings conducted by The People´s Institute for Survival and Beyond, a "national multiracial anti-racist network of veteran organizers and educators dedicated to building a movement ofr justice by ending racism and other forms of instutional oppression." More information can be obtained by contacting The People´s Institute, 1444 Johnson St., New Orleans, LA 70116-1767. Phone: (504) 944-2354.
Race is a specious classification of human beings created by (white) europeans which assigns human worth and social standing using white as the model of humanity for the purpose of establishing and maintaining power and privilege.
specious: something that gives the appearance of being true but is usually false.
PREJUDICE
A prejudgment which can be either positive or negative; usually has a negative connotation when connected to race.
PRIVILEGE
"...an invisible package of unearned assets and advantages about which [we were] meant to remain oblivious." (Peggy McIntosh)
POWER
Having legitimate (legal) access to systems sanctioned by the state; access to resources in place to work for me.
whiteness: a place of privilege in racial categories and a standpoint from which white people look at the world....race privilege is a lived but not seen aspect. (Ruth Frankenberg)
culture: highly variable systems of meanings which are learned and shared by a people or an identifiable segment of a population; way of life of a people including how they dress, groom self, etc.
ethnicity: where you are from; lineage; identity spot on the planet; where your ancestors came from; common nationality, culture, or language; ethnos (greek) refers to the people of a nation or tribe, and ethnikos stands for national.
nationality: political
ALANA: acronym for African-, Latino/a-, Asian-, and Native-American
