“Not seeing race does little to deconstruct racist structures or materially improve the conditions which people of color are subject to daily. In order to dismantle unjust, racist structures, we must see race. We must see who benefits from their race, who is disproportionately impacted by negative stereotypes about their race, and to who power and privilege is bestowed upon – earned or not – because of their race, their class, and their gender. Seeing race is essential to changing the system.”
We cannot cease in confronting our country’s history and relationship to identity. It is time for us to take a closer look at the inequities that are deeply rooted in our systems and institutions and work together to create an America where every individual has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, religion, and age. Over the next 21 days, we will explore difficult topics, like structural racism, segregation, oppression, and privilege, to open up dialogue on how we can be champions of racial equity in our personal and professional lives.
Today’s Challenge
How do you think about your racial identity and its relevance to your work/volunteerism/studies? Identity matters. Who we think we are and who others think we are can have an influence on all aspects of our lives. Think about the first time you became aware of your racial identity. What is the first thing that comes to mind?
Read
- Race and Racial Identity https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/race-and-racial-identity
- Explore this document to better understand the stages of racial and ethnic identity development. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oO42QQhHL6JZanPI9KNOA5iQmtPBAa7O/view
Watch
- An Arbitrary Racial Identity (Shaquan McDowell, TEDxBrandeisUniversity). This TED Talk investigates racial identity through a historical lens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2KYU4EmSho
Listen
- Listen to this Stateside episode with Eddie Moore, Jr., executive director of The Privilege Institute, about the White Privilege Conference in Grand Rapids creating a space for people to have “tough conversations.” (8 min) https://www.michiganradio.org/families-community/2018-04-03/white-privilege-conference-makes-space-for-tough-conversations-in-grand-rapids
Engage
- Journal your thoughts on these questions: What racial identities do you belong to? When did you first become aware of your racial identity? What messages did you learn about race from your school and family? Did they align with what you’ve seen in your life? When has the way others perceived your racial identity affected how they treat you? How have the events over the past 18 months impacted your awareness of race?
Reflect
- In what way(s) will you commit to stretching yourself along your personal and professional equity journey?