Small interactions with people or the environment that expose bias towards
marginalized groups. While microaggressions may be unintentional, they can have
cumulative negative effects on an individual’s well-being and sense of belonging.
Examples include asking a person of colour, “where are you really from?” or a woman
in a meeting being repeatedly spoken over or dismissed by her male colleagues
The unjust treatment or control of individuals or groups to maintain the status,
privilege, or power of the dominant group. This treatment can be based on race,
ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, religion, mental health
status, age, and/or ability
A culture or environment in which individuals with disabilities and diverse identities feel
they belong and can participate meaningfully as part of the whole, while retaining
authenticity, uniqueness, and autonomy.
Christians celebrate this largely to commemorate the birth of Jesus. But the festival has also been adopted as a secular family holiday by people of all faiths. It’s marked by an exchange of gifts as well as excitement for the arrival of Santa Claus
Also known as Rohatsu, this Buddhist tradition honors the day in which the Buddha—Siddartha Gautauma—is said to have achieved enlightenment. Many Buddhists celebrate it through meditation
An individual in a position of privilege or power who consistently tries to understand,
uplift, empower, and support equity-seeking groups.
Wiccans and Neo-Pagans celebrate the winter solstice (the darkest day of the year, on Dec. 21) through this festival. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. It celebrates the re-emergence of the sun and the days beginning to grow longer again. The festival was first celebrated in Scandinavia as a Norse festival.
The eight-day Jewish holiday. A central part of the Jewish Festival of Lights entails the lighting of a nine-branched menorah each night. (The ninth candle is used to light the others.) The ritual symbolizes how one day’s worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight days during a battle between a small group of Jewish people and the powerful Greek-Syrian army in 165 B.C. Per Jewish tradition, they are said to have emerged victorious and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem
A social, not biological, construct that involves the categorization of people based on
shared physical traits. When social constructs lead us to attribute meanings to people’s
identities, this can lead to unconscious bias, stereotypes, racism, and racial
discrimination. Racism is a systemic form of oppression based on social constructs.