It’s not just enough to not be racist, we must now be actively anti-racist. We must not only listen and learn, but also take action and campaign for a more equal future.
Here are 5 ways that you can be actively anti-racist in your day-to-day life:
- Understand that racism, and white supremacy, occurs both overtly and covertly. Because of the history of white supremacy within our society, we’ve all performed acts of racism, whether intentionally or not. Some forms of ‘socially acceptable’ racism include mass incarceration, calling the police on Black people for occupying public space, and not challenging racist jokes.
- Follow organisations who campaign for racial equity and justice. Companies such as The Audre Lorde Project, Black Women’s Blueprint, Families Belong Together and United We Dream.
- Listen to podcasts which explore and examine important conversations about race. Some important podcasts to listen to are: 1619, About Race, Code Switch, Momentum: A Race Forward, Pod Save the People.
- Commit to having important, and often uncomfortable conversations, with the people in your life. Discussing topics surrounding race will always feel uncomfortable, especially as they can potentially highlight the different opinions of the people in your life. But it’s important to continue to have them. Each conversation is an opportunity to understand, inspire and educate people on subjects with are important for an equal and progressive future.
- Read some more books on race. You’ve probably been recommended many books in the past few months, and here are some more! There is an endless wealth of resources available for you to continue your journey of being anti-racist. Some books which you may not have read yet include; I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock and The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.
