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A

ABDUCT

To take (someone) away illegally by force or deception; kidnap. (see KIDNAP)

A.D.

ADULTERY

Sex between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse.

AFER

A term used by ancient Latin speakers as an adjective, meaning “of Africa”. As a substantive, it denoted a native of AfriKa; i.e., an African. Latin speakers at first used AFER as an adjective, meaning “of AfriKa”. As a substantive, it denoted a native of AfriKa; i.e., an AfriKan. (See Afri)

AFRI

A Latin term, derived from the term AFER, used to refer the natives of Afrika. In its origins, it was used to refer to natives of all the lands south of the Mediterranean (Ancient Libya). Latin speakers at first used AFER as an adjective, meaning “of AfriKa”. As a substantive, it denoted a native of AfriKa; i.e., an AfriKan.

AFROCENTRIC

centered on or promoting emphasis Afrika or African-derived cultures, such as those of Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti, and the contributions of Afrikans to the development of Western civilization.

AMERICAS, THE

Refers to both North America, South America, and the Caribbean islands collectively.

AMERICAN INDIAN

A term created and used to refer to the indigenous peoples of North America, Central America, and South America. But it’s more popularly used to refer to the indigenous people of North America.

ANANSI

ANANSI (THE SPIDERMAN) – A character and one of the most popular animal tricksters from Afro-Caribbean folktale that originates from West African, Akan folklore.

ANANSI STORIES – A series of Afro-Caribbean folktales, popular in Jamaica, that originate from West Afrika. They were brought to Jamaica and other parts of the New World by Ashanti (Akan) slaves, during the Atlantic Slave Trade, and were passed through generations orally. Anansi exists as a spider, a man, or a combination of the two. These stories continue to provide a moral foundation for the community.

APPRENTICESHIP

ASKARI

A term used to refer to a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African Great Lakes, Northeast Africa and Central Africa.

B

BANTU

B.C.

BLACK FACE

BLACK PEOPLE

A term originally used to refer to people with dark skin complexions, generally to people of Sub-Saharan Afrikan ancestry but also to non-Afrikan dark skinned people, such as the Indigenous Australian and the Negrito populations of Thailand and the Philippines.

BLACK VOICE

C

CABOCEERS

An African native appointed by his leader to supply European slave traders with slaves.

CAFUZO

A term used by the Portuguese Empire, and occasionally today, to identify individuals in the Americas who are of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry. It is the Portuguese form of the Spanish term ZAMBO.

CAPOEIRA

A Brazilian Martial Art that combines rhythmic dance motions and fighting techniques. It was originally developed as a fighting system and concealed as dance by enslaved Africans in captivity during Brazil’s slavery era.

C.E.

CIMARRON

CIMARRON (ETHNIC GROUP) – A Maroon group in Colombia.

CIMARRON (SPANISH TERM) – An ancient Spanish term originally used to refer to cattle. It’s later adopted meaning was “wild” or “untamed” and was used to refer to an enslaved Black African who escaped enslavement in the Americas. (See MAROON.)

COCOLO

COFFLE

A line (or train) of animals, prisoners, or slaves chained and driven along together.

COLONIAL ERA

COLONY

A country, region or territory under the political control of another country and or a territory or region occupied by settlers from that country or another foreign land.

CONSPIRACY

CREOLE

D

DUKA

Duka is a Kiswahili word that means ‘Store’ in English.

DUPPY

E

EBONICS

ENFRANCHISEMENT

EUNUCH

Generally refers to a man, typically from antiquity, who had been castrated in order to serve a specific social function. Historically, Eunuchs served as guard the women’s living areas at an oriental court.

ETHNIC GROUP

A community or population of people who share a common cultural background or descent, such as language, history, culture or place of origin. (Also called ETHNICITY)

ETHNOCIDE

The deliberate and systematic destruction of the culture of an ethnic group as opposed to GENOCIDE.

F

FOLKLORE

The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.

FOLKTALE

A story originating in popular culture, typically passed on by word of mouth.

G

GENOCIDE

Systematic destruction and killing of a racial, political, or cultural group.

GUERRILLA WARFARE

GULLAH

GULLAH (PEOPLE) –

GULLAH (LANGUAGE) – A creolized European, African language developed and used by slaves in South Carolina, United States.

GUMBO

H

HABARI GANI

HOMOGENOUS

HIP HOP

HULL

I

IDEOLOGY

A collection or system of ideas or values, especially one which help form the basis of economic or political theory.

ILLEGITIMACY

IMPLICIT BIAS

INDENTURED SERVANT

INTERRACIAL

IVORY

J

JAMBO

JIM CROW

K

KABARI

A Kiswahili word that means Welcome in English

KAFFIRS

KIDNAP

To take (someone) away illegally by force, typically to obtain a ransom. (see ABDUCT)

L

LATIN AMERICA

Countries in the Americas and the Caribbean that were typically colonized by Spain or France, and that speak a variation of a language derived from the ancient Latin language.

LITERACY

The ability to read and write.

LOA

Spirits of Haitian Vodun and Louisiana Voodoo. Loa is known as Lwa in Haitian Creole.

LWA

Spirits of Haitian Vodun and Louisiana Voodoo. Lwa is known as Loa in Lousiana Creole.

LYNCH

M

MAAFA

A Kiswahili term meaning ‘the great disaster’, or ‘the great tragedy’, which refers to the experiences of Africans through the processes of European colonialism, imperialism and slavery.

MARABOU

MAROON

MONOPOLY

MULATTO

N

NANA

means “Grandmother” in Twi (Akan) language.

NEGRITO

NÉGRIER

A French term used to refer to merchants who specialized in funding and directing cargoes of black captives to the Caribbean colonies during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

NOMAD

NOOSE

A loop at the end of a rope with a running knot that tightens as the rope (or wire) is pulled. The knot most closely associated with execution is the hangman’s knot, which is also known as the “hangman’s noose.” The tying techniques are similar, but several turns are wrapped around the noose loop used to hang a person. The reason for this was to make the hanging more humane, as it would break the person’s neck, killing them instantly, rather than strangling them to death. (Wikipedia)

NYUMBANI

A Kiswahili word that means ‘Home’ in English.

O

OVERSEER

P

PIDGIN

PREJUDICE

PROVERB

Q

QUADROON

R

REPUBLIC

S

SAMBO

An English racial slur derived from the Spanish term ZAMBO. Historically, in the United States, the word sambo was thought to refer to the racial intermixing between an enslaved African and a white, European person. See ZAMBO.

SEASONING

SEGREGATION

SELF DETERMINATION

SLAVE NARRATIVE

SUBJUGATE

To bring under complete control or subjection; conquer; master; to make submissive or subservient; enslave.

T

THEFT BY SLAVE

THEFT OF SLAVE

U

UNCLE TOM

V

VOODOO

VOYAGE

W

WEST INDIES

WHITED SEPULCHER

A person, group, place, or thing presented as being virtuous and morally upright on the outside, but being hypocritically corrupt, immoral, or evil on the inside.

WHITED SEPULCHRE

A biblical term used in Matthew 23:27. Its literal meaning is Whited (or Whitewashed) Tomb. The phrase has now grown to mean a person who is inwardly wicked and devious but puts forth a visage of being holy or virtuous.

WIGGER

WOKE

WOKENESS

A state of being aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality.

X

XENOPHOBIA

Y

YOKE

Z

ZAMBO

A term used by the Spanish Empire, and occasionally today, to identify individuals in the Americas who are of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry. It is the Spanish form of the Portuguese term CAFUZO and the English term SAMBO.

ZANJ

ZONG