6 racist expressions that may still be part of your vocabulary; delete them

This past Sunday, the 20th, was the National Day of Black Consciousness. Thinking about this subject, we invite you to rethink the use of some terms and expressions that reaffirm racism.

Some people don't know the origin of many words and expressions they use today. Last year, the Public Defender of Bahia launched the Dictionary of (Anti) Racist Expressions, in order to make people aware. Check them out in this article!

Read more: Case opens discussion on the difference between racism and racial injury

Expressions of the period of enslavement are still present in society

We separate some of the racist expressions available in the dictionary.

• "Bad hair"– when referring to curly or curly hair;
• “Black market, black magic, black humor and black sheep” – the use of the word ‘black’ in a pejorative way;
• "Nozzle"– used aggressively towards those enslaved who could not speak Portuguese;
• "Bedside table": It is the name given to a piece of furniture that is usually placed next to the bed. The term originates from times past when slaves were used inside the house of white lords to stay on the side of the bed holding things, and in order not to disturb the people in the house, the servant should not make any noise, staying practically mute;
• “Black with a white soul”: A sad attempt to praise the black person in an effort to make them feel 'better' when relating to the white person;
• “Denigrate”: This expression is still widely used, meaning to slander or defame someone. Its origin comes from the meaning that 'turning black' is something that ends up tarnishing your reputation.

Importance of abandoning racist terms

In Brazil, black citizens represent 50% of the Brazilian population. Therefore, these discussions are so important, as they help in the historical recognition and reduction of the current impact.

The very use of the word black has an ambiguous meaning in society, as at one time it is a form of self-affirmation, at another it is used to reinforce a racist attitude. As, for example, a black person uses it in his narrative – “I am a black man” – and a racist person uses it as a form of offense.

Brazil is a country with multiple cultural influences, mainly in terms of language. However, the influence of African languages ​​in language formation is neglected, which already represents a great demonstration of racism.

Words like samba, bunda, pipe, lullaby, dengo, okra and cane are part of our vocabulary everyday life and also the grammatical study of the language and are not identified as having origin or influence African. In addition, some words are seen as incorrect according to the cultural norm, following the norms of Portuguese.

Schools simply do not address African linguistic content, as well as indigenous ones and little by little we are losing the diversity of the Brazilian language.