Should I Put My Race On Common App

Words Matter: Why We Should Put an End to "Grandfathering"

The time has come to call an end to "grandfathering". Don't freak out — I mean the word, not the policy. People typically use "grandfathering" to describe exempting long-time customers or users from new requirements. For example, if a company were to increase their monthly subscription price but allowed you to keep paying the same amount as when you first signed up, they'd say you were "grandfathered" into that new plan.

It's pretty common business t e rminology, including here at HubSpot. Or at least it was, until recently — we have decided to retire the word "grandfathering" at HubSpot because of its roots.

"Grandfathering" Has a History

I don't recall exactly when I first became aware of the origin of the term "grandfathering" — an article shared by a friend, or a gender-based sense of discomfort that drove me to Google it. But it arises from the term grandfather clause, and the reason to leave it in the past is right in the Merriam-Webster definition(1):

In the late nineteenth century, a group of U.S. Southern states passed legislation and constitutional amendments that made it harder, if not impossible, for African-Americans to vote. They introduced new requirements for literacy tests, poll taxes, and residency/property ownership restrictions in order to register to vote. States would exempt citizens from these new requirements if their ancestors (grandfathers) had voting rights before the Civil War. The motivation and outcome was to keep poor and illiterate former slaves and their descendants from voting, while allowing poor and illiterate whites to vote.(2)

Eventually, these original grandfather clauses were ruled unconstitutional. States found new and creative ways to suppress the African-American vote, right up through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which formally abolished literacy tests and other racist voting restrictions; though, unfortunately, voter suppression still continues today. The term "grandfathering" should have died with the grandfather clause, but instead it stuck. It's been adapted over time and has become common legal or business speak.

We Can Do Better

Some would say that in spite of its origins, the term "grandfather clause" today does not retain any pejorative sense when used in unrelated contexts. "This term 'grandfather' has been kind of deracialized," said Spencer Overton, author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, in an interview with NPR's Code Switch. "It's really a very convenient, shorthand term. We probably would not be as comfortable with using it if we associated it with grandfather clauses in the past and poll taxes and things like that."

Although I was aware of the history and was uncomfortable with the word, I hadn't stepped up to do anything about it beyond a few side conversations in which we failed to come up with a good alternative and moved on. But at a recent POCaH (People of Color at HubSpot) meeting, my colleague Gabrielle from our Services team was part of a breakout group digging into communications and language. She surfaced "grandfathering" as a problematic term and put a spotlight on its origins and connotations. And I'm grateful that she did. It's hard to talk about race at work, and about our ancestors, our privilege, and our injustices. But it's so important. The history of the term was a surprise to some and a reminder to others that we need to be more intentional. In the words of Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

After that POCaH meeting, we all knew that HubSpot could do better. As we work hard to raise the bar on inclusion and belonging, it's not right to gloss over the racist history of this commonly used term just because it's convenient. This isn't a unique observation — it's been called out in a number of articles arguing for more inclusive language (Buffer published an extensive blog post on the subject, also Fast Company and the Oxford Dictionary blog). And side note — I've heard "grandparenting" used, but that is not an improvement. While the original grandfather clauses had gender discrimination baked in (given that women did not have the right to vote in the United States at the time), saying "grandparenting" gives the racism a pass by focusing only on the gender issue.

Legacy > Grandfathering

So what's the alternative? It's not a synonym in the purest sense, but we're making the switch to use "legacy" instead. Yes, as a verb — for example, "We'll legacy you in." It's recommended in some of the articles above, and conveys the intent of pre-existing conditions exempting someone from new requirements. Plenty of words are getting verbed these days (hello, "adulting"), so why not? In fact, verbification brought us "grandfathering" in the first place.

I originally published this article on HubSpot's internal Wiki and shared some specific actions employees can take now that they know the history of "grandfathering". I think they're just as relevant and important for any company, community, or team:

Make the switch — Substitute "legacy" for "grandfather" in your verbal and written communication.
Raise the bar — Hold yourself and each other accountable for using all inclusive language, not just this term. The articles above are helpful places to start.
Be an upstander, not a bystander — If something feels wrong, speak up. If you're not sure, do the research and use the data to make your case. I let this one slide for too long. Leverage your privilege to amplify voices and shine a light on issues even when it feels awkward.
Share it out — If a customer or user asks why you're using the term legacy, tell them. Educate them with the facts.
Share your thoughts — If you have other suggestions on inclusive language shifts we should make, please leave a comment. Since posting this Wiki internally, HubSpotters have identified a few other terms we are currently rethinking. So if you see an opportunity for us to do better here, we'd love to hear it.