The list includes the word ‘picnic’ for some reason. It’s also worth noting this came out of the IT department.
The College Fix reports:
UMich’s IT department told to stop using word ‘picnic,’ it could ‘harm morale’“Crack the whip.” “Master/slave.” Even the term “picnic” has been deemed offensive, according to a lengthy list of words and phrases put out recently by the University of Michigan’s Information and Technology Services’ “Words Matter Task Force.”“To effectively communicate with customers, it is important for ITS to evaluate the terms and language conventions that may hinder effective communication, harm morale, and deliberately or inadvertently exclude people from feeling accepted to foment a healthy and inclusive culture,” states the memorandum obtained by The College Fix.The memo, last updated December 8, contains nearly 36 recommendations for alternative words and phrases, the naming of artifacts, cultural development within the organization, the creation of an advisory board, and a list of “next steps.”A centerpiece of the memo is the first of four appendices, a table of terms deemed offensive and alternatives to replace them.The list includes the word “picnic” under the offensive column. It suggests using “gathering” instead.The University of Michigan media relations department declined to comment at this time on questions from The College Fix on the list and what would happen to employees who refused to abide by the guidelines in the memo.The University of Michigan’s Information and Technology Services leadership also did not respond to a request for comment from The Fix on whether the list could be seen as a form of policing language.An internet search on the issue of the word “picnic” being racist includes a Reuters article from July 2020 headlined: “Fact check: The word picnic does not originate from racist lynchings.”As for the rest of the list, it contains several words containing a variation on the word “man,” such as “spokesman” or “chairman.” The guide recommends using terms like “spokesperson or “chairperson” instead.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY