The term was first seen on Twitter around 2013, and it spread widely in 2020 during the protests after George Floyd was murdered. It built on the older phrase "people of color." That phrase was created by people of color themselves: Loretta Ross traces "women of color" to the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston, where it was used as a sign of solidarity (Western States Center).
Supporters say putting Black and Indigenous first is intentional, because slavery and the taking of Native land shaped the laws that govern race in the US today. Naming Indigenous people also reminds us that they aren't immigrants or an ethnic minority. They are the original people of this land.
But the term has real limits, and some of the people it describes don't use it. Grouping very different communities under one label can hide what's happening to a specific group. For example, Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans (Washington Post). Calling George Floyd or Breonna Taylor "BIPOC" blurs that.
So here's how we use it at ARD. If you mean Black, say Black. If you mean Indigenous, say Indigenous, or name the nation. Use BIPOC only when you truly mean everyone in the acronym. And when in doubt, use the words a person or community uses for themselves.
Common questions
How do you pronounce BIPOC?
Most people say "bye-pock."
Is it offensive to say BIPOC?
It isn't a slur, but many people find it vague, and some don't identify with it at all. It's usually better to name the specific group you mean.
What's the difference between BIPOC and POC?
POC means people of color. BIPOC adds Black and Indigenous to the front, to name the specific harms those two groups have faced in the US.