Language is a powerful tool that can clarify or obscure; justify or delegitimize. What and how we communicate as epidemiologists can influence replication, accuracy of interpretation, and translation of science into policy. Moreover, our use of language reflects our thinking and value systems, reifying structures in society through science. This talk will cover the state of practice for communicating race and ethnicity in multiple health disciplines, how current communication practice threatens both scientific rigor and equity, and the possible actions at the individual and structural level we can take to address these issues.