duopress labs - The Young Activists Dictionary of Social Justice

In collaboration with Ryse Tottingham

LGBTQ+ advocate and antibias, anti-racist educator

Illustrated by AnDY Passchier

Dear reader,

Welcome to The Young Activists Dictionary of Social Justice.

This isnt your usual dictionaryit is a tool made especially for you. Yes, it will define terms, like the difference between equity and equality, but this book is also full of stories about young activists just like you who saw something that needed to change and spoke up.

If you dont already know, you might be asking: Whats an activist? For the official definition, you can look .

But right now, well let you in on a secret: YOU are an activist. Just because you picked up this book.

If youre looking at this page, you have the power to imagine a better world and create change. You are capable of using your voice and your influence for good.

We live in a world that is confusing and unfair sometimes. Some of the big issues that need fixing can seem much too big for one kid or even one adult. But as youll see in this book, one person CAN make a big difference.

And why shouldnt that person be you?

When we wrote this book, we chose words that are in use right now, but vocabulary can change over time. When in doubt, double-check!

If you have more questions about any of the words or subjects covered in this book, always do your research: Use multiple reliable sources to investigate and form your own opinion. Learning more about a topic will only make you stronger. And if something doesnt seem right or fair, keep asking questions. The only limit to learning is your curiosity!

uh BIL uh tee noun

the skill, power, or quality of being capable of doing something

A buh li sem noun

unfair or unjust treatment of people with disabilities (either on purpose or by accident)

uh BAH lish verb

to do away with something or to get rid of it forever

aa buh LI shun noun

the process of doing away with a practice or an institution; in U.S. history, it can refer to the movement that worked toward ending slavery

aa buh LI shun ist noun

someone who wants to get rid of slavery

ACK sent noun

stress on a particular part of a word, or the way in which someone speaks thats special to them or their region or culture

ACK sess noun

the right or freedom to be able to use something

ack sess eh BILL eh tee adjective

the practice of making a tool or resource equally available to everyone

aa COM pliss noun

someone who gets involved to make change; also considered a step beyond ally (see )

uh COUNT eh bill eh tee noun

holding yourself or someone else responsible (see ) and owning up to them

ACk tiv - LISS en ing noun

a way of paying close attention to someone else when they are talkingincludes looking them in the eyes, asking questions when you dont understand something they said, or responding to let the other person know youre interested in what theyre talking about

ACK tih vi sem noun

the practice of taking action for or against a cause or an issue, with the hope of making a change to laws or to the way the public sees the cause or issue

ACK tih vist noun

someone who sees that something is wrong and stands up to do something about, or to draw attention to, whatever that is (you could also be an activist in favor of or in support of an issue)

uh dull tiff ih CAY shun noun

when kids are treated as though they are adultsthis might mean that kids have to take on adult responsibilities when theyre too young, or kids are being talked to and involved in conversations or decisions that should only be for adults

AD voh kut noun

someone who fights for or speaks up for another person and their cause (can also be used as a verb, to advocate for someone)

aa fur MAY shun noun

a positive statement that builds confidence for yourself or for someone else, or the act of making this kind of statement

uh FURM ing verb

Saying positively that you believe something is true

*When its attached to another word, it can mean that you recognize and support all forms of that wordfor example, gender-affirming means that you recognize and want to support a person in their gender identity

AYJ ism noun

unjust or unfair treatment against someone due to whatever age they areold, young, or in between

AA lie verb

someone who is united with and in support of another persons cause

uh MENDZ noun

an action or a payment made to make up for something wrong that was done to a person, or a loss or an injury that they might have had

AM plih fie verb

to make louder, particularly to make a voice from a marginalized community (see ) louder so that more people can hear it

uh NAH toh mee noun

the physical and structural parts of the body

ANN cess ters noun

the people who came before you, often someone you are related to, going back many generations

ann DROH jin us adjective

having characteristics that arent specifically male or female, or looking or seeming partly male and partly female

ANN uh mull - RITES plural noun

the belief that all animals should be treated fairly and that their rights should be considered just like humans are

ant eye BYE us adjective

working against bias (see ), working toward a community that celebrates differences and recognizes all parts of the human experience

ant eye BLAK adjective

discriminating against, or showing hatred or opposition to, Black people because of their race