Why I Asked My Team to Avoid Saying the Word “Minority?”
This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to….well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity
News From #TeamJTC:
FREE CHECKLIST | We have a FREE, downloadable CHECKLIST for leaders called The Platinum Checklist for Hiring Professionals: 10 Immediate Actions Leaders Must STOP Doing to Increase Diversity. Click to download your free copy.
In our Team JTC staff orientation, we now include a list of words and phrases to avoid. As we are creating a baseline of common language to use, I’ve been very intentional as CEO to guide my team to more and more effective language choices. It is not that I see words and phrases as right and wrong. I see them as more effective and less effective. Effective language, as we define it, is language that moves us all closer to our goals. Ineffective language, as you may imagine, either moves us away from our goals, distracts us from our goals, or leaves some of us feeling left behind and left out of the conversation all together.
At Team JTC we do not use the word minority when referencing marginalized groups. Although it is a commonly accepted word and our team would likely never be faulted by our community for using it, our company philosophy is to lean more toward words and phrases that move us closer to our goal which is to help organizations increase diversity.
Follow me for a moment…
The denotation of the word minority is this: the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole.
The denotation of the phrase “minority group” is this: a group of people whose practices, race, religion, ethnicity, or other characteristics are fewer in numbers than the main groups of those classifications.
The two definitions refer to an amount being lesser than half of the whole. However, what I have observed in reality is that regardless of a group’s representation in comparison to the main group, individuals and groups alike are still being considered a minority or a minority group. As a matter of fact, the word minority and phrase minority group is often used ineffectively as a euphemism for “other” groups that are non-white and male. In my personal opinion, the word minority carries with it the connotation of inferiority especially when (using the earlier example) the population in consideration IS a larger part or number of the white population.
So, rather than use the word minority, here are ten alternative suggestions that I share with our team, and I want to share with you too as you are working toward more effective language. As a quick disclaimer, I use the words group and population interchangeably. So, do not overthink that part. 😉
Here is a word that I use most often. It most clearly depicts what our work represents at Team JTC. We help employers to increase representation among underrepresented populations.
(#01) Underrepresented populations: This population includes groups that have a greater representation in the workforce than is represented in our workplaces. This group wants to work and is qualified to work but have have historically had limited access to job opportunities due to discriminatory and biased practices.
Here are some words that I love as they more realistically represent what has happened to a group and how they have been historically treated:
(#02) Marginalized groups: A group that has been treated as less significant or insignificant and decentered as a point of priority. A great example of this would be when we hear the statement “all lives matter” when the primary topic was to be centered on how Black lives matter. In this example, we are pushing vulnerable groups to the margins rather than centering their stories.
(#03) Untapped groups: A group that has not yet been leveraged for the true value they have to offer. When companies drop pedigree requirements, they can source untapped groups that may also include more women and people of color. As I mentioned in last week’s article, The Only Formula You Need to Increase Diversity, “the greatest challenge we face as recruiters and hiring managers is our inaccurate view of what someone should look like (i.e., packaging and pedigree) to demonstrate that they are qualified.”
(#04) Underserved / Under-supported groups: A group that has not been presented with the necessary resources, services, and supports. My favorite nonobvious example of a necessary resource that underrepresented populations have been without are the unwritten rules for career success. That is why we started Inner Circle so that Legends (the name our members call themselves) can gain insight on how to navigate interview bias to gain new jobs and get promoted.
(#05) Underutilized groups: Groups that have been ineffectively positioned and leveraged for the true value that they have to offer. This is why the lack of diversity in leadership roles matters. There are too many individuals from underrepresented groups who have demonstrated high performance and are continuously told that there are not yet ready for leadership because they have not shown enough executive presence (and other areas of vague feedback)—when the truth is, they were ready years ago.
(#06) Underestimated groups: Groups that have been insufficiently thought of and too low of value has been placed on them due to stereotypes, prejudgments and other biased practices.
(#07) Minoritized groups: Groups that have been made to feel inferior and/or subordinate (i.e., like a minority) to a more dominant group.
Also, here are some words that I love as they more realistically connect to how our biases create blind spots or foggy lenses through which we perceive talent:
(#08) Nonobvious populations: A group may be nonobvious due to our conditioning of what someone has historically looked like due to past representation. I was looking at an advertisement the other day for a company called Mr. Handyman. With all of its branding focused on white men, a nonobvious group to serve in this role would be women of color, for example.
(#09) Nontraditional populations: Who has traditionally served in certain roles in the past? An example would be a man serving in the role of a stay-at-home parent. This would be nontraditional in the US because (although shifting) historically women have served in this role.
And here is my favorite recommendation while on the journey to using more effective language.
(#10) SAY EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN. You do not need to use groupings all the time, especially when you are only talking about one type of identifying factor. For example, it is completely okay and even “effective” to say an Indigenous, non-binary queer individual with a disability, especially if understanding how that person identifies supports the context of the conversation.
I truly hope that this information is supportive to you as you are working on what language is most effective for your team and workplace.