Diversity, tolerance, politically correct... Jennifer and Monika decode some common and seemingly innocuous words and phrases that, in reality, send racist messages.

Coded words = What they really mean

Diverse/Diversity = People who don't look like me/People of color

Political Correctness = Stop talking about your experience

Articulate/Well-spoken/Well-behaved = You don't live up to the stereotypes

I'm not racist = My intention isn't racist, therefore your experience is invalid

Colorblind/"I don't see color" = Your identity doesn't matter

Community = Racial minorities/people who are socioeconomically challenged

Bad school = Predominantly racial minorities; majority socioeconomically challenged students

Bad neighborhood = Predominantly racial minorities; majority socioeconomically challenged students

Further reading:

What Racial Terms Make You Cringe (New York Times)

Coded Language Reinforces Racism in School (The Society Pages)

The sneaky language today's politicians use to get away with racism and sexism (Vox)

Coded Language: Community, Diversity, and Other Racist Words (Medium)

14 Words That Carry a Coded Meaning for Black People (Buzzfeed)