User:Rickmanc/sandbox/Group Wikipedia Article

Language and Bias
Inclusive language guidelines

In a set of guidelines set forth by the University of South Carolina Aiken, the general rules for describing and writing about race, ethnicity, and nationality are laid out. Rules such as not using umbrella terms such as 'minority' when referring to a person from an ethnic or diverse background, not using the term 'illegal immigrant,' the terms 'African American' and 'black' are not always interchangeable, and to always leave black uncapitalized are some of the few things the guide sheds light on. This guide is essential for any piece of writing that deals with race or ethnicity, and the topic of Environmental justice heavily discusses the impact of placing environmental burdens such as landfills in disadvantaged communities that are often predominantly populated with people from ethnic backgrounds. In including them in the writing, the editors should have consulted the USC Aiken guide or one similar to learn about the inclusive language that it requires.

Wikipedia language guidelines

In Wikipedia's Manual of Style it is made clear that all Wikipedia articles should use plain English. All editors should not use overly complicated terms and phrases to describe subjects covered in Wikipedia articles. This brings about a certain level of consistency between each article and makes the information easy to understand. There is no requirement for the use of inclusive language. While requiring the use of plain English throughout Wikipedia could be seen as a step towards an attempt at inclusion because more people can access and understand information, the lack of a requirement to use inclusive language shows that there is a lapse in Wikipedia's ability to be entirely inclusive in its use of language.

Language used in the environmental justice Wikipedia article

For the most part, the article does a great job of using inclusive language and plain English. When looking over the article, especially the sections that deal the most with ethnic groups like 'Environmental discrimination,' and 'Affected groups,' there are no major issues with non-inclusive language. The one issue that was apparent was that the article repeatedly refers to groups as minorities. This term has been accepted and used for a long time, but there have been movements against its use recently. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists made a press release in August 2020 that asked newsrooms across the United States to stop using the term when writing about people of color.

Language used in external sources

'The Environmental Justice Movement,' an article released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, lays out the history behind the environmental justice movement in great detail. The language used in the work is highly inclusive and appropriate. The authors do not refer to the groups impacted by environmental burdens as minorities, but rather label them appropriately as to their backgrounds. The article also goes into much more detail about the history and progress of the environmental justice movement, where as the Wikipedia article only gives the section six paragraphs.