Twisted Words: Ep. 9: Savage: How Language Fueled Colonization and Dehumanization

In this episode of The Morris Perspective, host Connie Morris traces the history and power of the word "savage," showing how language was used to justify colonization, slavery, and the stripping of humanity from African and indigenous peoples. She examines roots, media portrayal, education, and policy impacts, and explains how dehumanizing labels shaped public perception and violence.

Connie also discusses how the word has been reclaimed in modern culture, the ongoing effects of linguistic conditioning, and why paying attention to narrative matters for empathy, justice, and the reclamation of identity.

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