Title: What Does BIPOC Mean?
Headings: What Does the Acronym BIPOC Mean?
What Does the Acronym BIPOC Mean?
What Does BIPOC Mean?
What Does Each Letter Mean?
Indigenous
People of Color
How Does BIPOC Relate to POC?
Why It Matters
Uses
Which Term to Use
When Not to Use It
Impact
Effects of Mislabeling
What to Do If You Get It Wrong
Resources
Books
Organizations

Content: POC on its own can often be seen as a way of erasing or minimizing the unique experiences of Black and Indigenous people. BIPOC, on the other hand, helps foster greater inclusion of people who have faced racism and mistreatment because of the color of their skin and their culture. The acronym POC can be used to imply that all people of color (Asian, Latinx, Black, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern, for example) have the same or similar experiences. It can also appear to insinuate that people from non-white ethnic groups are interchangeable. BIPOC aims to unite all people of color while also acknowledging the unique history of oppression, systemic racism, and cultural erasure that Black and Indigenous people face. BIPOC is a way of creating greater recognition and inclusion of these marginalized groups. Why It Matters
Acronyms such as BIPOC can play an important role in serving different identities in our society. The labeling of non-white people has a long, often discriminatory history. More recently in history, people have adopted terms intended to foster greater inclusivity and sensitivity, such as the phrase 'person of color' or 'people of color.' While POC has become a useful way to describe people of non-white backgrounds from all over the world, there is an emerging awareness that there is a need to include more people and acknowledge that some groups are often left out of the conversation.