brown bag

A brown bag (often referred to as a brown bag session or brown bag lunch) is an informal meeting, training, or presentation typically held during a lunch hour. The format usually involves attendees bringing their own food—historically carried in brown kraft paper sacks—while listening to a speaker or engaging in a group discussion. The term became common in corporate and academic settings in the mid-to-late 20th century as a way to utilize break time for professional development without the formality or expense of catered events.

The term has recently drawn scrutiny due to the historical existence of the "Brown Paper Bag Test," a discriminatory practice used within the African American community and by some institutions in the 20th century to compare an individual's skin tone against a brown paper bag, granting privileges only to those lighter than the bag. Because of this painful history associated with colorism, some organizations and diversity advocates recommend replacing the term to avoid inadvertent exclusion or insensitivity. Conversely, others argue that the term "brown bag lunch" is etymologically distinct from the discriminatory test and refers strictly to the literal lunch container, maintaining that the context makes the usage acceptable and that changing it is unnecessary.

Example:
"The HR department is hosting a brown bag on Friday to discuss the new benefits package."

Example:
"Feel free to bring your lunch to this brown bag session; we will provide beverages."