Although the term BIPOC has been around for several years, it gained immense popularity following the murder of George Floyd on May 25. The need for inclusion of all peoples has arguably never been greater, and changing language to match this need seems like a great step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, as language evolves, it takes on new meaning. BIPOC, as a term, has gone through a metamorphosis of its own. Like terms of the past and terms to be, BIPOC has strayed from its original meaning and is becoming something much more complicated.
Like most words and terms, the origin of BIPOC is disputed — The New York Times cites a 2013 tweet as the first usage of the term that it could find. However, it most likely dates back further than that. It is an extension of the term “people of color” — commonly abbreviated as POC — with the addition of the “B” and “I” representing Black and Indigenous respectively.
The term was created with the intention of acknowledging the differing levels of injustice faced by racial groups, and to promote Black and Indigenous voices. As the founders of the BIPOC Project state, the term is used “to highlight the unique relationship to whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a U.S. context.”
Recent events such as the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have demonstrated the immense need for social justice in America, but they have also ignited conversations that many were not previously accustomed to.
Thus, it is no coincidence that the usage of “BIPOC” spiked over the past few months. However, widespread usage of a word eventually adds new connotation, and those connotations can lead to evolution in the meaning of the word itself.
The phrase “women of color” demonstrates this change in meaning better than any other term.
Initially coined in 1977 during the National Women’s Conference, the term was created as a positive, inclusive way to refer to minority women. In present day, the term has diverged from its intended purpose and is now just a passive differentiation between white and non-white women.
“Women of color” was a term representative of strength in the face of injustice, but now it is simply a small distinction in biology.
For good or bad, the phrase has lost its original substance. Other terms have been commandeered to further injustice and hate, while many — like “Latinx” — have been adopted into elite groups as a badge of social status.
The worry with the term BIPOC is that those people who were supposed to be helped by its usage are actually being hurt. A Pew Research Center study in August found that 76 percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. have never heard the term “Latinx,” and only 3 percent actually use it. Although no studies have examined the usage of “BIPOC,” one can safely assume that this trend continues.
So, who do these terms actually impact, if not the people they are meant to help?
Most often, terms regarding social justice are either created or adopted by university circles, and then distributed to those close to them. Those who have access to higher education are more likely to hear and be familiar with these terms.
However, that does not mean they are more likely to fight machismo in Latin culture or uplift Black and Indigenious voices — they just know what terminology to use when discussing the topic.
A term like BIPOC provides people a facade of pushing for social justice.
There is a moral crisis in the United States right now, and the quick acceptance of a term helps to alleviate that moral panic. But this isn’t the 16th century, and you can’t just buy your way into heaven.
If you are from a privileged community and use the term BIPOC, but don’t actively listen to the voices from people who look different than you, then you have simply changed your vocabulary without changing your mindset.
The job of changing your mentality in relation to social justice is both extremely difficult as well as extremely important, and terms such as BIPOC may be a great means for doing this. We cannot, however, let them simply be an end.
Read it 3 times Joel, and continue to be amazed at your writing ability! I confess that I was not familiar with the term BIPOC, but have a basic understanding now. Great article Joel – proud of you!!