Have you seen the term BIPOC on social media, or in the news? With time, new terms have emerged to describe minority racial and ethnic groups. In this article, we will be explaining everything you should know about BIPOC.
BIPOC
Due to the George Floyd protests against police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement rose in 2020. After that, different discussions found a way to light. And, therefore, BIPOC has been an acronym that became widespread, and important to learn of. In the United States and around the world, people are coming together to fight systematic racial injustices.
What Does BIPOC Mean?
Pronounced “bye-pock,” BIPOC is an acronym that stands specifically in the United States.
It means Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Before, it was common to use the term POC. But now that other agendas are gaining the discussion scenes, it is important to bring intersectionality to the center of the fight.
Remembering BIPOC Who Have Passed Due To Police Brutality
George Floyd was a BIPOC. A police officer murdered him. The 17-year-old Darnella Frazier saw the scene and recorded it for the world to see. It sparked protests against police brutality around the world.
Millions of people in America – and the world – marched throughout their nations’ capitals demanding change against police brutality and systemic racism. In the wake of Floyd’s death, a deeper conversation emerged about what it means for Black People to experience systemic racism.
Floyd was not the only BIPOC to die because of police brutality. Other BIPOCs who have passed, include Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown. Please check out the Say Every Name website for the names of Black people killed by United States law enforcement.
What Do The Letters In BIPOC Stand For?
Here is a breakdown and in-depth analysis of what the letters in BIPOC mean.
- “B” stands for “Black.“ Black is a term that describes a person with African or Caribbean heritage. The term African American is widely used to describe black people, but it is not always accurate. These individuals may not all be American, and some may not trace their roots to Africa.
- “I” stands for “Indigenous.” Native Americans are the indigenous inhabitants of North America, this is a general term referring to all of the tribes of the residents of the continent. Specifically naming these tribes is the best way to be more specific and to recognize them.
- POC While the term POC is, “widely used as an umbrella term for all people of color.” This acronym is used to identify people who are not white. The acronym, POC refers to “person of color” and the term has been on the rise since 2020, due to the ongoing wave of anti-racist movements in the United States.
What Is The Difference Between BIPOC and POC?
According to the New York Times, BIPOC was first used in a Tweet in 2013. BIPOC started to gain traction online around the spring-summer of 2020. The term centers around specific discrimination that Black and Indigenous people experienced, stats the YWCA. People of color do not all face equal levels of injustice, as noted by this term.
“BIPOC” refers to the recognition that not all people of color experience the same levels of racial injustice. In this case, BIPOC indicates that Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by systemic racial injustices. It is significant that the term BIPOC is used to acknowledge that Indigenous and Black people are severely impacted by systematic racial injustices.
The term “people of color” or “POC” dates back to the late 18th century according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Like the word “colored” used to define nonwhite people, this term was originally used to reference, “light-skinned people of mixed African and European heritage as distinct from full-blooded Africans” (The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style, p. 376).
BIPOC Projects To Check Out
In The BIPOC Project, they aim to build lasting solidarity among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in order to end Native invisibility, anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy, and advance racial justice. The project offers workshops and curriculums for community building, by using historical and contemporary information.
At MIT, influential BIPOC designers are recognized and remembered in the Built Project. A collaborative project between MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, and the MIT Libraries. The digital collection in The Built Project remembers BIPOC designers and advocates that have, “shaped how we see and interact with the built environment and city form.” – BIPOC in the Built Project.
Recently, multinational consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy is investing millions of dollars in Brown Venture Group, which is a firm exclusively backing BIPOC founders who, “Envision a world where fully funded Black, Latino & Indigenous tech startups launch, scale, and reinvest enthusiastically.” – Brown Venture Group
All human beings desire a sense of belonging, a feeling of acceptance, and the avoidance of rejection, regardless of their demographic background. It is crucial that we listen to BIPOC leaders. Also, we must remember those BIPOC lives that are not among us anymore.
Social fights are a matter that can’t leave out of the discussion. The fashion industry is slowly making progress towards respect. However, there’s a lot to do yet and social washing is definitely something we need to talk about. Check out!
