Source
Color of Change
About
Color of Change is a U.S. progressive nonprofit: by its own description “the nation’s largest online racial justice organization”: founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to strengthen the political voice of Black Americans. Its stated mission is “creating a more human, less hostile world for Black people in America,” and its narrative-and-media work produces journalist-facing guidance on covering Black communities.
The commons cites three of its guides: Anti-Racist Protest Reporting (2020), on covering protest and racial-justice movements; the Black Families Narrative Guide (2020), on how Black families are portrayed; and the Black Survivors Journalist Style Guide (2022), on covering Black survivors of violence. Together they inform the Race & Ethnicity chapter and the survivor/victim terminology in the Disability & Mental Health chapter.
Access
Host posture is private-mirror-link-out: the guide is distributed through Color of Change’s resources page (linked) and was live at the last check. The commons keeps a private preservation copy for citation verification and links out to the authoritative version. Quotes are held within fair-use limits.
Works reviewed
Black Survivors Journalist Style Guide
Available onlineAnti-Racist Protest Reporting
Available onlineBlack Families Narrative Guide
Available onlineTerms citing this source
“A movement founded in 2013 in response to the lack of justice for Trayvon Martin. Their mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes …”
: Part I: Language Guide, "Black Lives Matter" definition (p. 5)
- DisadvantagedAvoid
“we've repeatedly seen language that refers to Black people as "vulnerable," "at risk," or in need of "charity." This language, while well-meaning, portrays those being harmed as powerless, and shifts blame from the real actors”
: Tip: Avoid language that deflects attention from the systems, structures, and leaders inflicting harm
- GhettoAvoid
“Ghetto is a racist and classist term that has become shorthand for a poor and Black neighborhood that white people should disparage, dismiss and fear. … It should not be used by people who do not live in those communities, not even in jest or for "ironic" effect.”
: "Ghetto" entry, Words and Phrases to Reconsider
- GroomingUse with care
“Grooming[:] The process in which an abuser/predator gains the trust of the child (and their family members) with the intention to later violate that trust and harm the child sexually.”
: Glossary, "Grooming" entry (cited to RAINN)
- HomophobiaUse with care
“Rape culture often works in tandem with sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Adopt gender-inclusive language and refrain from the use of demeaning descriptors when referring to victims/survivors.”
: Gender-Inclusive Language, p. 7
- Illegal ImmigrantAvoid
“Use people-first language. That reminds us we are talking about human beings… [Use] UNDOCUMENTED PERSON [not] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.”
: Tip: Use people-first language (use/avoid word pairs)
- InmateAvoid
“Tip: Use people-first language. … Avoid criminal justice language unless you are specifically referring to a court case or someone who has been charged with a crime. … INCARCERATED PERSON [use] / INMATE [avoid].”
: Part I: Language Guide, people-first language table (use/avoid pairs)
- Mental HealthUse with care
“Reporting on things like the mental health and criminal record of the victim/survivor should also be done with extreme caution and discernment.”
: Victim/Survivor-Affirming Language, coverage best practices
- PronounsUse
“Ask survivors for their preferred pronouns and other identifiers.”
: Black Survivors style guide, survivor-interview rules
- ProstituteAvoid
“Child prostitute, child sex worker … Commercially exploited child … Children cannot give consent to engage in sex, transactional or otherwise.”
: "Survivor-Affirming Alternatives" table, child sexual exploitation row
- StereotypesAvoid
“"Out of wedlock" … is a dog-whistle that elicits racist "welfare queen" stereotypes. … "Thug" is used to elicit stereotypes of dangerous Black male criminality and to blame Black people for social unrest and violence. …”
: Language to avoid: "Out of wedlock," "Thug"
- StereotypesAvoid
“Avoid using clickbait, misleading titles, false statements, or partial quotations that sensationalize sexual abuse, undermine the seriousness of gender-based violence, or perpetuate anti-Black or misogynist stereotypes.”
: Disclaimers and Content Warnings, p. 8
- SurvivorUse
“Beyond specific language and terminology to use when addressing sexual violence, putting practices in place that affirm survivors and center their narratives is extremely impactful.”
: Victim/Survivor-Affirming Coverage Best Practices, p. 6
- VictimUse with care
“It includes survivor-affirming language to adopt when framing sexual assault, trauma-informed techniques to use when interviewing Black victims/survivors, and harmful terms to avoid when pitching or writing articles on the subject.”
: Introduction, #ProtectBlackSurvivors style guide
“Believes white people are superior and thus should have wealth, social status, power, and privileges to dominate other races. Rooted in the now-discredited doctrine of scientific racism …”
: Part I: Language Guide, Definitions → White supremacist
- Working classUse with care
“While other terms in this section are harmful in the ways they target Black families, this term is harmful in the way it excludes them. The image of "working class" families is one that is largely coded as "white" within the public imagination”
: "Working Class" / "Working Families" entry, p. 12