If you’ve been paying attention to recent conversations about race or have been researching issues related to racial equity, social justice, and antiracism, you likely have come across the acronym BIPOC — and you may be wondering what it’s all about. Let’s take a moment to unpack what BIPOC means, explore its origins, and discover how and when it might be used.

What is BIPOC?

BIPOC stands for “Black, Indigenous, and people of color” and is meant to be both inclusive and specific at the same time. The term also facilitates a transition to a more positive, person-first language and signals a shift away from more fraught and dehumanizing terminology such as “minorities” or “marginalized populations”. Because of its unique historical and cultural perspective, which we will explore further, BIPOC is used more often in the United States or North America than in other parts of the world.

How do you pronounce BIPOC?

Just as it is important and respectful to say someone’s name correctly, you also want to be sure to pronounce new terminology accurately. Generally, BIPOC is treated as a single word and is pronounced “buy pock” (“pock” as in “pocket”). However, occasionally you may hear someone pronounce each letter separately, saying “B-I-P-O-C.” As you encounter BIPOC in more conversations, pay attention to how you hear it used, and don't be afraid to use the pronunciation that you hear used more often within your community.

Why should we use BIPOC?

No doubt you will have noticed that the definition of BIPOC encompasses the older — and perhaps more familiar — term “people of color”, which is a descriptor that refers more broadly to people who aren’t white. So, does BIPOC suggest that “people of color” is somehow inadequate or is no longer inclusive enough? Not exactly. Certainly “people of color” does include both Black (or African American) people and Indigenous (or Native American) people, as well as people from East Asia, Central America, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and India. However, unlike the more general “people of color”, BIPOC places an added emphasis on Black and Indigenous people. It serves as a reminder that the experiences of Black and Indigenous people are not universal to all people of color in this country, and it recognizes the particular history of discrimination and oppression towards these communities, including slavery, Indian removal, segregation, police brutality, and Indigenous genocide. Black and Indigenous individuals and communities still bear the impact of this history, and ongoing systemic racism in the United States continues to oppress and deeply affect the lives of Black and Indigenous people in ways that other people of color may not necessarily experience. Using the term BIPOC, therefore, aims to bring to center stage the specific violence, cultural erasure, and discrimination experienced by Black and Indigenous people while also reinforcing the fact that not all people of color share the same experience, particularly when it comes to legislation and systemic oppression. At the same time, BIPOC also expresses the solidarity between all people of color and the identities represented by the term.

The use of BIPOC is not without its criticisms, debates, and caveats, however. Acronyms and other abbreviations can feel easy and convenient, and while they do serve a purpose, blanket use of these terms can still be problematic. Some suggest that trying to include everyone equally can, at times, flatten identities and minimize the voices of those who need to be heard. Focusing on understanding the separate, individual experiences of different groups of people — and how those experiences continue to affect them — may offer a better path toward change. Handy acronyms, while sometimes appropriate, are not an easy substitute for doing the heavy lifting needed to combat bias in your language. You want to acknowledge someone’s identity, and you don’t want to get it wrong. So, when you are talking about individuals or smaller groups of people, perhaps it’s best to avoid using a broader, more general term like BIPOC, as these umbrella terms may be less helpful when applied to individuals. For example, instead of referring to Toni Morrison as a “BIPOC author”, perhaps the better option would be a more specific descriptor, such as “Black author” or “African American author”.