Verywell / Catherine Song
Anti-racism is a process of actively identifying and opposing racism.
Anti-racism is rooted in action.
It is about taking steps to eliminate racism at the individual, institutional, and structural levels.
Why Anti-Racism Is Important
The problem with systemic racism is that it is all around us.
We are born into it.
People often mistakenly believe that simply being not racist is enough to eliminate racial discrimination.
The problem with this perspective is that White people are often unaware of their own unconscious biases.
Saying but Im not racist also allows people to avoid participating in anti-racism.
Understand What Racism Is
People often think of racism solely in terms of individual actions.
The word may conjure up images of people in White cloaks or neo-Nazis with shaved heads.
While both represent racism, it is important to realize that racial discrimination is not always so overt.
The Effects of Racism
Anti-racism also involves working to understand how race and racism affect people.
Economic Disparities
Racism influences economic status for a number of reasons.
Racialized individuals are discriminated against in educational and employment access.
Black workers are twice as likely to be unemployed as White workers.
People who belong to an ethnic minority receive longer, harsher sentences.
For example, Black men receive almost 20% longer sentences than White defendants for the same crimes.
Healthcare Inequality
Racial discrimination has a detrimental impact on health for a number of reasons.
Understanding these issues as well as how systemic racism contributes to such disparities is an essential part of anti-racism.
Redlining, which is the systematic denial of services, is one reason for the significant disparities in homeownership.
Racial minorities are less likely to be offered financial services including loans and insurance.
They are also less likely to be shown available homes for sale.
Examine Your Own Biases
Anti-racism requires looking at your own beliefs and actions critically.
For example:
These unconscious, automatic associations are a result of how the brain operates.
The events that helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement have helped many see the critical need for anti-racism.
Learn About Racism
Do the research to learn about the history and effects of racism.
Learn how racism is still happening today and how it shapes our social, economic, and political landscape.
Remember that just because you have never experienced or witnessed these things doesnt mean that they dont happen.
Reflect on things you may have done or believed that might have been rooted in racism.
Not all people are impacted by race in the same way.
Black women, for example, are affected by both racial discrimination and sexism.
And Black and Indigenous people often experience discrimination differently than other people of color.
Participate
Take part in events that are designed to combat racial injustice.
Discuss Racism
Talk to friends and family about the effects of racism.
Call out racism when you see it.
Adding multicultural books to your childs reading list can be helpful.
Books can also be helpful for guiding conversations about difficult topics such as slavery and segregation.
Seek Diversity
One way to combat racist beliefs is to seek diversity in your life.
This phenomenon, known as passive tolerance, happens because people are exposed to more positive examples.
Rather than basing beliefs on racial stereotypes, people gain a more representative and realistic perspective through direct experience.
Its a lifelong commitment to fighting for racial equality and justice.
A Word From Verywell
Anti-racism requires reflection and action.
Being anti-racist is a conscious choice to make choices and engage in actions that support equality.
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