1. Race and ethnicity – For writing inclusive content, in June 2020, “Associated Press Stylebook” and “Chicago Manual of Style” (CMOS) editors agreed to emphasize capitalizing the “b” in “Black.” Essentially, the CMOS advises it “in the service of editorial logic and consistency,” but doesn’t require it. So, if you usually write in the lowercase, it’s OK to continue to use “black.”
The AP has decided not to capitalize the word “white” (except in titles and at the beginning of a sentence), explaining that “as is done by white supremacists,” it “risks subtly conveying legitimacy to such beliefs.”
In 2019, the AP removed the hyphen from “African American” and other references to dual heritage for writing inclusive content. Other changes: In reference to non-whites, the AP accepts the term “people of color,” but not the acronym POC. It also allows the terms “racial minority/minorities.” But, if a person’s race or ethnicity is a focal point of your piece, it’s better to move from the general to the specific. So, instead of stating someone is Hispanic, per the example below, refer to their dual heritage.
Example: “Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida was the first Cuban American elected to Congress.”
2. Racism – The “Merriam-Webster Dictionary” recently updated its definition of the word to include “systemic oppression,” and it’s likely the first of many revisions in other references.
The AP defines racism as “a doctrine asserting racial differences in character, intelligence, etc., and the superiority of one race over another, or racial discrimination or feelings of hatred or bigotry toward people of another race.” It leaves the decision over whether a “specific statement, action, policy, etc.” should be termed “racist” or described differently open and up to “discussion with colleagues and others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.”
The AP also suggests looking at the facts to determine if a statement or action meets the definition of the word. Use of the term “racist” requires similar caution; it’s better to be specific in describing a person’s words or actions. Depending on the context, “prejudiced,” “biased,” “racially divisive,” and similar terms may be more appropriate.
3. Gender-neutral pronouns – As our society continues to recognize transgendered and non-binary individuals, more people are deciding how they want others to refer to themselves, whether it’s as “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they.”
Some people state their personal pronoun preferences in their email signatures and/or their social media profiles. Traditionally, if you’re unsure of the correct pronoun, you would use “him or her,” but “they/their” is becoming more acceptable and common. If you don’t know, ask.
4. Gender-neutral nouns – Given the greater acceptance of non-male genders in different careers, our language also continues to evolve. For example, recent trends suggest terms such as “policeman,” “actress,” and “Congressman” are out of touch compared to more gender-neutral wording. “Police officer,” “actor,” or “member of Congress” are more acceptable alternatives. For writing inclusive content, the AP suggests everyone use neutral language unless an organization specifies otherwise.
5. More sensitive terms for other groups – Per the AP and other works, references to illegal immigrants or undocumented workers, homeless people, and the elderly are also changing with the times:
- The AP has shifted its stance on the term “illegal immigrant.” It now prefers that writers “specify whenever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where.”
- It considers “the homeless” unacceptable and prefers the term “homeless people,” “people without housing,” or “people without homes.”
- Also, some see the phrase “older adults” as more appropriate than “seniors,” “senior citizens,” or “the elderly.” In this case, the AP believes it’s better to be less specific and more general.
For more help with race/ethnicity, gender identity, and other multicultural terms, see The Diversity Style Guide. And for advice on skillful language rooted in critical thinking and compassion, visit The Conscious Style Guide.
Sharpen your image while you show compassion for others — learn how to write more inclusive content.
When you write inclusive content, which problems do you face? Feel free to comment below.
Quotes
“Writing about race and crime was not new territory for me. But it can be treacherous. So here are my rules: No stereotypes. No generalizations. No explanations. No apologies. Just the facts, ma’am.” ~ Colin Flaherty, “White Girl Bleed a Lot.”
“Tweak your internal grammar so that the pronoun ‘they’ can refer to a specific individual. It takes some practice to get the hang of it, but the human language processing capacity is more adaptable than people realize, even for geezers like me.” ~ Geoff Nunberg, Even a Grammar Geezer Like Me Can Get Used to Gender-Neutral Pronouns
- Published July 7, 2020
- Updated: 2022