July 17, 2023

At a Glance

At Jobs for the Future, we believe that language matters to our mission of driving equitable economic advancement for all. The words we use every day can perpetuate and exacerbate inequality, but they can also educate, empower, and drive positive change. That’s why we’ve been examining our use of language and reevaluating how to describe the people our work centers on. Our latest thinking appears in JFF’s Language Matters Guide.

Now JFF’s Center for Racial Economic Equity—whose mission is to disrupt occupational segregation and eradicate the Black-white wealth gap—has developed this companion guide to dig deeper into language about race and Black people. It offers a foundation for understanding the impact that words and phrases pertaining to race can have on Black people and on efforts to promote racial economic equity.