As much as we’d like to pretend every phrase we utter is a lone star suspended in the space of our own genius, all language has a history. Unfortunately, given humanity’s aptitude for treating each other like sh*t, etymology is fraught with reminders of our very racist world. Since I have faith that most of you reading want to navigate the world with intelligence and empathy, I figured it’d be useful to share some of the everyday phrases rooted in racist etymology.

Knowledge is power, and the way we use and contextualize our words can make a huge difference in the atmosphere we create.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definition, a thug is “a violent criminal.” Obviously, this definition leaves the word open to define people of all ethnicities.

However, given the frequent ways this word has been used to describe Black Lives Matter protesters, the 17-year-old murder victim Trayvon Martin, and sadly, almost every black victim of police brutality, there is an undeniable racial charge to the word.

When you consider the people who are called thugs, groups of black protesters, victims of racist violence, teenagers minding their own business, and flip the racial element, you’d be hard-pressed to find examples of white people being called thugs in earnest by the media (or really by anyone).

let me get this straight. Marshawn Lynch is "thug" because he doesn't talk enough, & Richard Sherman is a "thug" because he talks too much?— Coach Ray Hubbard (@rjhubbard) January 27, 2015

let me get this straight. Marshawn Lynch is "thug" because he doesn't talk enough, & Richard Sherman is a "thug" because he talks too much?— Coach Ray Hubbard (@rjhubbard) January 27, 2015

Several prominent activists and black writers have written about the phenomenon of thug replacing the n-word in modern culture. In a popular press conference back in 2014, the Seattle Seahawks player Richard Sherman explained his feelings about the word.

“The reason it bothers me is because it seems like it’s an accepted way of calling somebody the N-word now. It’s like everybody else said the N-word and then they say ‘thug’ and that’s fine. It kind of takes me aback and it’s kind of disappointing because they know,” Sherman said.

If a 1400 SAT score and a degree from Stanford makes you a "thug" then I want my kids to be thugs. @RSherman_25 pic.twitter.com/MWuWWPNSWh— Bipartisan Sports (@BipartisanSport) August 23, 2015

If a 1400 SAT score and a degree from Stanford makes you a "thug" then I want my kids to be thugs. @RSherman_25 pic.twitter.com/MWuWWPNSWh— Bipartisan Sports (@BipartisanSport) August 23, 2015

If you’re talking about an actual criminal, there are so many descriptive words to invoke besides “thug.” Given its current use as a negative, racially-coded word, avoiding its use seems like an easy and obvious move.

2. Grandfather Clause

When most of us hear the term “grandfather clause” we just think of the generalized description: a person or entity that is allowed to continue operating over now expired rules. But the literal meaning reveals the “grandfather clause” was a racist post-Reconstruction political strategy.

This is the historical definition, according to Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Grandfather clause, statutory or constitutional device enacted by seven Southern states between 1895 and 1910 to deny suffrage to African Americans. It provided that those who had enjoyed the right to vote prior to 1866 or 1867, or their lineal descendants, would be exempt from educational, property, or tax requirements for voting. Because the former slaves had not been........

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