In today’s day in age, it has become very clear that racism and discrimination are pressing problems in the United States. Due to the pervasiveness of racism, it is no longer sufficient to not be racist, but we must take it a step further—we must educate ourselves and learn to be anti-racist. Now, I am not some enlightened human who knows all or a perfect person who never makes mistakes—I am still on this journey as well. Although I am still in the learning process, I am going to explain how I have worked to be anti-racist, this way you can learn how to become anti-racist, too.
The first, and probably most important step, is education. You must actively seek out resources, experiences and people that will not only teach you what being anti-racist means but how to practice it as well. For example, do you know what systemic racism is? Do you know that one in four students report race discrimination at their school per year? How about that in New York City, 88% of police stops in 2018 involved Black and LatinX people, while 10% involved white people? Well, I didn’t know that either, until I read books, articles, and did research to become a more informed human and better anti-racist advocate. Certain books that helped, which I strongly recommend, are “How to Be an Antiracist,” “White Fragility,” and “Me and White Supremacy.”
After you do your research and build a stronger foundation regarding anti-racism, you need to practice implementing it into your life. What this means is that you need to call out injustices and check your privilege. You need to dedicate yourself to including anti-racist practices in your small, everyday choices. You need to reflect on any thoughts you have of racism or bigotry. You need to commit to the ongoing battle against systemic racial injustice.
Finally, you need to learn with humility and be open to having tough, uncomfortable conversations. Yes, reading, listening to podcasts, and conducting your own research will definitely help you become anti-racist, but the best way to learn is through listening to those who have experienced racism firsthand. In order to learn with humility, you must listen to people’s experiences to understand, not to respond. You must also be willing to learn new things, change your mindset and be open to different points of view. It is important to make sure that you do not go into conversations assuming that you know everything, but rather go into conversations with the intention of having an open and honest discussion. It may be challenging to have conversations about a heavy, emotional, and very real topic, but uncomfortable conversations are always the most rewarding. So, hold yourself accountable and put yourself out there in order to become an anti-racist advocate and an ally for standing against racial injustice.
All in all, the work for change is a lifelong journey. We are all in this together, and I encourage you to start taking both short- and long-term actions to stop racism.
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