“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. Ant that is the only way forward.”
–Iljeoma Oluo
“To be antiracist is a radical choice in the face of history, requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness.”
–Ibram X. Kendi
There are various reasons to participate in this challenge, and one may be to transform your culture from a culture rooted in White-dominant norms and standards to a culture around equity. You may be looking for ways to increase representation from marginalized groups; strengthen your culture to be more inclusive; and look through a racial equity lens to see more clearly how your organizational operations are impacting its diversity.
Racism is not just statistics. It can be seen and felt in gentrification and displacement, the exploitation of Native land, clutched purses, unreasonable fears, towns and cities avoided by White persons, underfunded public schools, the social need for movements such as #SayTheirNames and redlining. When society has recognized these issues in historically oppressed communities, we’ve seen how people can stand up to push for basic rights such as voting, fair employment, and fair housing.
This February, we have learned how racial inequities permeate our communities on individual, institutional, and systemic levels. We are all impacted by the system of racism in our country and therefore all responsible for dismantling the structures that allow it to persist. Change is possible and there are tools we can employ as both individuals and organizations to drive individual and community transformation.
We will highlight a few of these tools below but encourage you to explore Racial Equity Tools, a comprehensive website of resources designed to support learning, planning, acting, and evaluating efforts to achieve racial equity.
Today’s Challenge
Read
- Work to become antiracist – learn from Ibram Kendi. Reflect on how you feel after reading. https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/being-antiracist
- One of the best ways to continue to build empathy and learn about race is to start a conversation. Read Race Forward’s 10 Ways to Start a Conversation About Race , then start a conversation with friends, family, school, and work colleagues. https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/10-ways-start-conversation-about-race
- If you have children in your life, it is never too early to begin talking about race. Explore the many resources provided by Embrace Race to start the conversation with children and youth. https://www.embracerace.org/
Watch
- Learn more about how the Skillman Foundation is using asset framing in their work with Detroit Children, and watch videos from Trabian Shorters, founder and CEO of BMe Community, discuss how to put asset framing into practice. https://www.skillman.org/blog/the-power-of-asset-framing/
Discuss
- Why do you want to be anti-racist? Considering the breadth and depth of racism, committing to being anti-racist may feel overwhelming yet small choices made daily can add up to big changes. Reflect on choices you make in your daily live (i.e., who you build relationships with, what media you follow, where you shop). How do these choices reflect being anti-racist?
- Think about the policies and practices in your organization or company. Using an anti-racist lens, are there changes that you might recommend making to help your organization become a more anti-racist workplace?