May 27, 2021
When discussing topics like diversity and inclusion, it is important to have a shared language on the buzzwords used. The City of Raleigh’s Equity and Inclusion department provides a list of definitions for common terms used when discussing topics like equity, race, and racism. Some of these definitions are sufficient, but most of them miss the mark in terms of providing a productive sense of the word. While these definitions are tailored to the topic of equity and inclusion, and not meant to be used in broad language, it does not excuse the lack of linguistic rigor in the construction of the terms. For the words that are lacking (i.e., what the word is trying to express), I will inspect the definition and demonstrate why it is deficient even in the context of equity and inclusion.