Image | Courtesy of Bonnie J. Walker
Bonnie J. Walker
November 4, 2020
Walker: Be inclusive when communicating on the job
By Grant Welker
Discussions about inclusivity have swept much of the country this year, including deep-rooted effects of racism and how people are made to feel equal and be given equal opportunities today.
That includes the use of language and how we communicate on the job, Bonnie Walker, Worcester Academy's director of equity and inclusion, said in an online forum hosted by Worcester's Communicators Club on Tuesday.
Use inclusive language avoiding slang, biases or expressions that discriminate, Walker said. Capitalize someone's race, such as Black — a style change put in place this year by the influential Associated Press and adopted by many outlets, including the Worcester Business Journal — and use a term such as Native American instead of an outdated reference like Indian when talking about those indiginous to North America. Avoid gender-specific language, and use humankind instead of mankind, server instead of waiter or waitress, or "they" for a rhetorical person, instead of "he" or "she," including in job descriptions and marketing, she said.
"It should be something that we do intentionally," Walker said of using language that makes any listener or reader feel included.
Walker, who identifies as a biracial Black woman, said she finds herself struggling with always using inclusive language in one area: saying, "you guys" when referring to a group of mixed gender.
"It's so ingrained in my mindset," she said. "We have to start reteaching ourselves."
Walker discussed how Black people can sometimes be burdened with being asked about their lived experiences. In her case, she said, she doesn't tire of questions about her race because of her role as an educator. But many others might be tired of being asked, and not all need to be advocates for their race or identities, she said.
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