Gail Harrison: Slang and Cultural Expressions

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Approx. time Expression Explanation
5:00 genesis birth, beginning
5:27 newbie new person, beginner
7:00 othering making someone feel different, outside, not belonging
7:34 people of color non-white people
7:49 intellectualizing only analyzing, not using emotions or experience
8:06 polarized being in exactly opposite positions
8:33 Die, n****r, die! The N-word is a very strong and historically offensive word used for black Americans. White people should not use it.
9:11 hate crime a crime against another person because of who they are (classes include race/ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation/identity, handicap, etc.)
10:47 anecdotal told in stories
11:15 grassroots work work done by everyday community members (from the ground up, not from the top down)
11:27 egalitarian principle of people being equal
11:43 overt racists people who discriminate by race in public, without hiding it
12:04 low-bias whites white people who work to minimize their natural prejudices
12:55 implicit bias unconscious ways that we are prejudiced against people of other races (or other characteristics)
13:52 dispel pervasive biases remove, get rid of widespread prejudices
14:33 Calling All Colors LEDA’s racial awareness workshops in local middle and high schools
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Alan Headbloom

Alan advises Americans how to be global citizens and expats how to fit in to Michigan culture without annoying their native coworkers and clients. He also tweets and blogs at the intersection of language and culture. Over decades, he's traveled, studied, or lived on six continents, putting strange foods into his mouth and emitting strange sounds from it. His use of English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Hausa, and Japanese all improve with alcohol use. He gives invited public presentations on culture and unsolicited private advice on English grammar and usage; the latter isn't always appreciated. Visit his website for information on consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements.