An increasing number of white Americans are seeking to understand structural racism and their own part in it. L. Glenise Pike – founder and executive director of the antiracism education platform Where Change Started – offers a brief handbook on the basics of antiracism. Readers will find an introduction to concepts, self-study worksheets and a simple, actionable agenda for moving forward.
Racism refers to the ways behavior expresses the ideology of white supremacy.
White supremacy means the notion that white people possess natural superiority to Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and therefore would qualify as more deserving of the benefits of society.
Racism perpetuates the ideology of white supremacy. White supremacy has become pervasive in the United States, and practically everyone engages in racist behavior, practices and beliefs, perpetuating the system.
Antiracism means taking action against all forms of racism and white supremacy.
Antiracism differs from activism. Activism typically aims at reversing or opposing racism’s results rather than attempting to root out racism itself. Activism often involves supporting BIPOC-operated businesses and organizations or boycotting businesses that engage in racist or culturally appropriative activities – as well as protesting and attending rallies. Antiracism aims at racism’s causes, which often means doing internal work to eliminate the drivers of your own racist behaviors. Conflating activism and antiracism can create confusion about ...
L. Glenise Pike is the creator and executive director of Where Change Started, an antiracism education platform inspiring individual action and accountability in the fight to end racial inequality and social injustice.
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