Glossary

The following definitions were the result of a collaborative effort between members of CJC. While they are by no means comprehensive, the definitions serve as a base-line for our shared language and values as an organization. Have a suggestion or term to add? Email us at cjc.cornell@gmail.com!


  • Anti-capitalism = Seeking to dismantle and replace the economic system of capitalism due to its prioritization of profits and private property over human and planetary well being.

  • Anti-racism = The active process of unlearning and opposing racist beliefs while seeking to dismantle systems of white supremacy.

  • Civil disobedience = Deliberately disobeying a law or societal norm as a form of protest in the quest for change.

  • Climate Justice = Acknowledging and addressing that marginalized communities experience disproportionate impacts of climate change as a result of historic and contemporary systems of oppression.

  • Direct action = Taking action in the pursuit of a specific goal by confronting those with power.

  • Equity = Addressing systemic disadvantages and ensuring that all communities are provided with the resources necessary to achieve the same outcomes.

  • Food justice = Creating equitable access to nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food in response to current disparities that result from structures of oppression.

  • Food systems = All the institutions, practices, and cultural paradigms involved in the cultivation and distribution of food.

  • Frontline communities = Communities - often those composed of low-income, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals - that are directly and disproportionately experiencing the impacts of climate change.

  • Grassroots movement = Collective action that harnesses the power of a community in order to enact change.

  • Racism = Oppression, prejudice, and discrimination that is historically constructed and currently enacted on the basis of race or ethnicity.