Fresh narratives

Use precise, descriptive language to communicate the reality without relying on racialised associations or metaphors.

-“It was a difficult / tragic / painful period in history NOT ”“It was a dark time in history.” 

-“She gave me an angry / unfriendly / disapproving look.” NOT “She gave me a black look.”

-“Blocklist / Allowlist” NOT “Blacklist / Whitelist”.

-“Illegal market / unregulated trade” NOT “Black market”.

Avoid common (and older) idioms or imagery that  link “dark” with bad and “light” with good — updating language helps reduce bias.

-"Outlier / nonconformist / family outsider” NOT “Black sheep of the family”.

-Use neutral tone descriptors and avoid using “fair” to mean “beautiful”.

-“Edgy humour / cynical humour / morbid humour” NOT “Dark humour”.

Consider the impact of your words, not just your intent. Be respectful. by acknowledging real differences and histories.  

- "I value everyone’s experiences and identities.” NOT “I don’t see colour.

-“We share humanity, but our experiences differ — and that matters.” NOT “We’re all the same.”

-“Language evolves — it’s good to stay open to learning.” NOT “People are too sensitive about language.”

-“I’ll listen and understand how my words affected them.” NOT “They’re overreacting.”