Word Choice Is an Opportunity to Match Your Impact with Your Intent

There are words that we use so often that we rarely stop to consider the impact that they can have.

The word but is often used when we discuss things like Black History Month. “It’s important but, it’s the shortest month of the year…” The word but negates what comes before it. When you use the word but you may be negating the lived experiences and realities of others without even realizing it.

For the final episode of Black History Month, Erica discusses why we need to be more conscious of when we use but.

In this discussion:

How the word but negates experiences and realities

A case for keeping history, heritage, and cultural months on the calendar

Why using the word but doesn’t soften the impact of your words

How to use language as a clue to how you’re processing

Resources:

Learn more about land acknowledgments at native-land.ca

Listen to Erica and E.K. Powell on African American Vernacular English

Ready to dive deeper?

Any time that we discuss language and word choices, it’s important to consider how it impacts people and the intended or unintended harm that can happen when we are not mindful with one of our most important resources: our words.

Inside The Pause on the Play® Community, we have our guide to problematic language and alternatives, which is a crowdsourced document that you can learn from and contribute to, so we can all work on recognizing that our language is powerful.

This is one of the many resources available to Community members, along with community conversations, office hours, workshops, and more.

Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community