A131 Resolution Regarding Language
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That the 80th General Convention establish the phrase People of Color, when making references to communities in our church, that do not exclusively identify as White. Official documents, resolutions, and other messages of the church from here on should utilize this term and where appropriate, previous documents may be modified. And be if further,
Resolved, That when referring to a smaller group of people that share a historical, cultural, or ethnic identity, we commit to using the specific terms and names that those groups have widely embraced for themselves in our documents and church communications.
Explanation
With the white-centric society in the United States and elsewhere in the West and Europe non-white persons have been referred to using a wide variety of names. Some of them have been imposed and pejorative while others chosen. While different ethnicities and nationalities are best distinguished from each other it has been important for movements of justice and solidarity for groups to come together under common terms. Recently, the acronym BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) has become a common term in organizing communities in the United States. As that term is not fully embraced and we are seeking a future where whiteness is not centered we believe establishing People of Color in the time being as common language to be the best way forward.