How to Be an Antiracist

1. Racism is a power construct, not biological reality

Race is a mirage but one that we do well to see, while never forgetting it is a mirage, never forgetting that it's the powerful light of racist power that makes the mirage.

Race is a social construct. There is no biological basis for racial categories. Genetic studies show more diversity within racial groups than between them. Race was invented by those in power to justify exploitation and maintain hierarchies.

Racism creates race, not vice versa. Racist policies and ideas construct racial categories and imbue them with meaning. The concept of distinct races emerged alongside the Atlantic slave trade to rationalize the dehumanization of Africans.

Key points:

• Race has no genetic or scientific basis
• Racial categories are fluid and have changed throughout history
• Race was invented to justify slavery and colonialism
• Genetic diversity is greater within races than between them

2. Denial is the heartbeat of racism; confession is the heartbeat of antiracism

Denial is the heartbeat of racism, beating across ideologies, races, and nations.

Denial perpetuates racism. Refusing to acknowledge racist ideas, policies, and actions allows them to persist unchallenged. Many people and institutions claim to be "not racist" while still harboring racist views or supporting racist systems.

Confession leads to antiracism. Honestly examining and admitting to one's own racist ideas and behaviors is the first step toward change. Antiracism requires ongoing self-reflection and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about oneself and society.

Steps toward antiracism:

1. Admit to racist thoughts and actions
2. Identify the source of those ideas
3. Recognize racist policies and practices
4. Work to change racist systems and beliefs
5. Continue to examine oneself for new manifestations of racism

3. Racist policies create and sustain racist ideas, not vice versa

The history of racist ideas is the history of powerful policymakers erecting racist policies out of self-interest, then producing racist ideas to defend and rationalize the inequitable effects of their policies, while everyday people consume those racist ideas, which in turn sparks ignorance and hate.

Policies drive racist ideas. Contrary to popular belief, racist ideas don't primarily stem from ignorance or hate. They are created to justify racist policies that benefit those in power. Understanding this helps focus antiracist efforts on changing policies rather than just educating people.

Self-interest motivates racism. Racist policies are typically enacted to protect or enhance the economic, political, or social power of certain groups. Racist ideas then emerge to rationalize these policies and the resulting inequities.

Examples of racist policies leading to racist ideas:

• Slavery → ideas of Black intellectual inferiority
• Segregation → ideas of cultural incompatibility
• Mass incarceration → ideas of Black criminality
• Immigration restrictions → ideas of immigrant inferiority

4. There is no such thing as "not racist" - one is either racist or antiracist

What's the problem with being "not racist"? It is a claim that signifies neutrality: "I am not a racist, but neither am I aggressively against racism." But there is no neutrality in the racism struggle. The opposite of "racist" isn't "not racist." It is "antiracist."

Neutrality supports racism. Claiming to be "not racist" allows people to avoid taking action against racism while still feeling morally absolved. This inaction enables racist systems to persist.

Antiracism requires active opposition. Being antiracist means actively identifying and challenging racist ideas and policies. It's an ongoing process of reflection and action, not a fixed identity or passive state.

Key distinctions:

• Racist: Supports racist policies or expresses racist ideas
• "Not racist": Claims neutrality, allows racism to persist
• Antiracist: Actively opposes racist policies and ideas

5. Racial inequity is a problem of bad policy, not bad people

To be antiracist is to think nothing is behaviorally wrong or right -- inferior or superior -- with any of the racial groups. Whenever the antiracist sees individuals behaving positively or negatively, the antiracist sees exactly that: individuals behaving positively or negatively, not representatives of whole races.

Policies create inequities. Racial disparities in areas like wealth, education, and health are not due to innate group differences or cultural deficiencies. They result from racist policies that have created and maintained unequal conditions.

Individualize behavior, not race. Antiracism means rejecting the idea that any racial group is inherently superior or inferior. Positive or negative actions should be attributed to individuals, not generalized to entire races.

Areas where racist policies create inequities:

• Housing (redlining, predatory lending)
• Education (school funding, disciplinary practices)
• Criminal justice (sentencing disparities, police brutality)
• Healthcare (access to care, medical racism)
• Employment (hiring discrimination, wage gaps)

6. Assimilationist ideas are racist ideas

Assimilationist ideas are racist ideas. Assimilationists can position any racial group as the superior standard that another racial group should be measuring themselves against, the benchmark they should be trying to reach.

Assimilation reinforces racial hierarchies. The idea that marginalized groups should adopt the culture and values of the dominant group implies that their own cultures are inferior. This perpetuates racist power structures.

Cultural differences are not deficits. Antiracism recognizes the value and validity of diverse cultural expressions. It rejects the notion that any one culture should be the standard to which others aspire.

Problems with assimilationist thinking:

• Erases cultural identity and diversity
• Blames marginalized groups for their oppression
• Ignores systemic barriers to equality
• Reinforces the dominance of White culture
• Perpetuates racist stereotypes and biases

7. To be antiracist is to view and treat all racial groups as inherently equal

To be antiracist is to view national and transnational ethnic groups as equal in all their differences—that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.

Equality doesn't mean sameness. Antiracism acknowledges and celebrates cultural differences between racial groups while rejecting hierarchies of value. It recognizes that diversity enriches society.

Challenge racial stereotypes. Antiracism means actively questioning and refuting ideas about inherent racial characteristics or abilities. It involves seeing people as individuals shaped by their experiences and environments, not predetermined by race.

Ways to practice racial equality:

• Appreciate cultural differences without exoticizing or stereotyping
• Recognize and challenge your own implicit biases
• Expose yourself to diverse perspectives and experiences
• Support policies that promote equity across racial groups
• Speak out against racist jokes, comments, and stereotypes

8. Racist power thrives on racist policies that create inequities between racial groups

Racist policies have been described by other terms: "institutional racism," "structural racism," and "systemic racism," for instance. But those are vaguer terms than "racist policy." When I use them I find myself having to immediately explain what they mean.

Focus on specific policies. Vague terms like "systemic racism" can obscure the concrete ways racism operates. Identifying and challenging specific racist policies is more effective for creating change.

Follow the inequities. Racial inequities are evidence of racist policies at work. By examining disparities in outcomes between racial groups, we can trace them back to the policies that create and maintain them.

Examples of racist policies:

• Voter ID laws that disproportionately impact minorities
• "War on Drugs" policies leading to mass incarceration
• Zoning laws that perpetuate housing segregation
• School funding models based on local property taxes
• Immigration policies that discriminate against certain nationalities

9. Intersectionality is crucial to understanding and combating racism

To be antiracist is to reject not only the hierarchy of races but of race-genders. To be feminist is to reject not only the hierarchy of genders but of race-genders. To truly be antiracist is to be feminist. To truly be feminist is to be antiracist.

Multiple identities intersect. Racism doesn't operate in isolation from other forms of oppression. People experience discrimination based on the intersection of their various identities, including race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability.

Holistic approach needed. Effective antiracism must address how different forms of oppression interact and reinforce each other. This requires challenging multiple systems of power simultaneously.

Key aspects of intersectionality:

• Recognizes complexity of lived experiences
• Highlights unique challenges faced by multiply marginalized groups
• Reveals how different forms of oppression are interconnected
• Calls for inclusive and multifaceted approaches to social justice
• Challenges single-issue thinking in antiracist work

10. Antiracism requires persistent self-awareness, self-criticism, and self-examination

The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it—and then dismantle it.

Ongoing process, not end state. Being antiracist is not a fixed identity but a continual practice of identifying and challenging racist ideas within oneself and society. It requires constant vigilance and willingness to learn and change.

Embrace discomfort. Confronting one's own internalized racism and privilege can be uncomfortable and unsettling. Antiracism means pushing through this discomfort to achieve personal and social transformation.

Strategies for antiracist self-reflection:

• Regularly examine your own thoughts and behaviors for racist tendencies
• Seek out diverse perspectives and listen to marginalized voices
• Be open to criticism and feedback about your own biases
• Educate yourself about the history and ongoing realities of racism
• Practice humility and acknowledge that unlearning racism is a lifelong process

11. Focusing on changing racist policies is more effective than changing minds

Racial reformers have been trying to convince Americans of their racism for more than two centuries. Is it not time to change our strategies?

Policy change drives attitude change. Historical evidence shows that changing racist policies often leads to shifts in racist attitudes, not the other way around. Focusing on policy change is more effective than trying to educate or persuade people out of racism.

Target power, not ignorance. Racism persists not primarily because of ignorance or hate, but because it serves the interests of those in power. Effective antiracism must challenge and change power structures that benefit from racial inequity.

Reasons to prioritize policy change:

• Produces tangible improvements in people's lives
• Addresses root causes of racial inequity
• Can lead to shifts in attitudes and beliefs over time
• Doesn't rely on convincing racists to change their minds
• Targets systems of power rather than individual prejudices

12. An antiracist society is possible if we confront racism with courage and hope

Once we lose hope, we are guaranteed to lose. But if we ignore the odds and fight to create an antiracist world, then we give humanity a chance to one day survive, a chance to live in communion, a chance to be forever free.

Hope fuels action. While the task of dismantling racism can seem daunting, maintaining hope is crucial for sustaining antiracist efforts. Without hope, defeat is certain.

Courage to face reality. Antiracism requires the bravery to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves and society. It means taking action even when the odds seem stacked against us.

Reasons for hope in antiracist struggle:

• Historical precedents of successful antiracist movements
• Growing awareness and activism around racial justice
• Increasing diversity in positions of power and influence
• Advances in research and understanding of how racism operates
• Power of collective action and solidarity across racial lines

Last updated: August 16, 2024