Timara (she/her) on Spoutible

1/6

Words have meaning.

While you should call a thing exactly what it is, you should also be mindful of what characteristics you assign to people.

Those characteristics can be rooted in racism or have far-reaching negative impacts on a person's life.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024

Timara (she/her)

@timara

2/6

For example, calling a child "bad" or "spoiled."

A child isn't bad. You cannot spoil a child. But when you assign these characteristics to children, they can grow up to internalize them.

This is how colorism thrives.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024

Timara (she/her)

@timara

3/6

Another example is calling Black women "strong" or assigning "strength" to Black women. At first glance, it seems like a compliment. But it upholds negative expectations that affect the well-being of Black women at the expense of those they're supposed to be strong for, which is everyone but them.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024

Timara (she/her)

@timara

4/6

Another example is referring to a Black woman as "angry." Anger is an emotion anyone should be able to feel, but when assigned to Black women it perpetuates negative stereotypes. Those stereotypes are rooted in racism.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024

Timara (she/her)

@timara

5/6

On the flip side, you rarely see strength assigned to white women. They're often assigned words like "pure" or "fragile."

Latina women are "spicy." Asian women are "docile."

You get where I'm going.

These labels are problematic yet they're so often used.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024

Timara (she/her)

@timara

6/6

Now I'm not saying you can't self-identify.

But when we brush broad strokes across demographics we uphold racism and patriarchy.

You may think your intent is positive, but what you're showing is your unconscious bias.

07:36 PM - Mar 05, 2024