The Importance of Inclusive Language

Language is our humanity, Brené Brown explains in Braving the Wilderness. We use language to relate to each other, and over time, we learn and adapt the words we use to improve our communication. This has been and will continue to be a part of our evolution. 

This adaptation and agility is especially true in technical work spaces where we describe concepts yet to exist in reality. In one recent meeting I heard three different analogies to describe the product life cycle, the highest priority, and cutting edge technology. Even ‘cutting edge’ is a term we use often, but the meaning was ‘the edge of a tool's blade’ until the mid-1960s. 

Our language is born from our experiences, and we sometimes accept phrases we hear without knowing the original meaning. Unsurprisingly, much of the English language has roots in white supremacy, which is why we have to continue to challenge what we say and how we say it. 

For example, when I had the honor of joining Afternoon Live to share event networking tips for PDXWIT, I referenced the phrase ‘Southern belle.’ I used this phrase to describe my mother who grew up in Savannah, Georgia and the southern hospitality etiquette she’s taught me my whole life, such as always greet your host, and never show up empty handed. 

After the show, I checked the origin, and I learned ‘Southern belle’ originated with daughters of the wealthy, white class during slavery in the United States. While it can also be used to describe a debutante, intent is not the same as impact. I would never want to make someone feel unwelcome because of unchecked language. 

After I learned my mistake, I immediately reached out to my leadership at PDXWIT to provide them with the interview and apologize. Searching for the origin of words and phrases has been a practice of mine since 2020 to strive for inclusive language. According to HubSpot, inclusive language is “the words and phrases you use that avoid biases, slang, and expressions that discriminate against groups of people based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, and ability.” In order to create an actively antiracist and inclusive world, we need to reshape our language along with our systems.

Many common phrases in day to day working situations can be adjusted with a simple, conscious change to create a working environment that doesn’t rely on violent and discriminatory language. Here’s a list of changes to update your professional vocabulary: 

• Tribal -> Institutional 

• Grooming -> Refinement 

• Master -> Main 

• Guys -> Folks, Y’all, People, etc.

• Deadlines -> Timelines 

• Crazy -> Wild 

• Ghetto -> Makeshift 

• Blacklist -> Denylist 

• Whitelist -> Allowlist

• Avoid using genuine medical conditions unless used accurately, such as PTSD or Tourette Syndrome 

• Avoid point blank, under the gun, beat a dead horse, off the rails, etc. 

If you’re ever in doubt, search the origin of the phrase and make a determination. Perhaps you have a word or phrase that you’ve updated to create a more welcome and inclusive environment? Please reach out and share so I can update the list. 

Thank you for taking the time to update your language. Together, we can transform our communication and change the future of tech.