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 product of social systems rather than biology. Scientific analysis confirms that there is no genetic foundation for the categorization of humans into distinct races. In fact, genetic variation is more significant within a single racial group than the differences found between different groups. The concept of race was developed by dominant power structures to validate systemic exploitation and establish social hierarchies.

The existence of racism precedes the existence of race. Specific policies and ideologies were developed to create racial categories and assign them specific social values. For instance, the framework of distinct races was established during the era of the Atlantic slave trade to provide a rationale for the dehumanization and ensluation of African people.

Key points:

• Race lacks a scientific or genetic foundation.
• The definitions of racial categories are inconsistent and have evolved over time.
• The invention of race served to justify systems of colonialism and slavery.
• Biological diversity is more pronounced within groups than across 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.

The refusal to acknowledge racism ensures its survival. When individuals or organizations deny the existence of racist thoughts, policies, or behaviors, those systems remain operational. It is common for people to identify as "not racist" while simultaneously maintaining beliefs or supporting structures that perpetuate racial inequality.

Progress toward antiracism begins with honest admission. Real change requires a person to identify and admit to their own participation in racist frameworks. Antiracism is an active process involving continuous internal evaluation and the courage to address difficult personal and societal realities.

Steps toward antiracism:

1. Acknowledge personal racist ideas and behaviors.
2. Trace the origins of these concepts.
3. Identify specific racist practices and policies within society.
4. Commit to reforming systems and personal convictions.
5. Maintain a practice of self-observation to identify evolving biases.

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.

Systemic policies generate racist ideologies. It is a misconception that racism is primarily born from personal hatred or a lack of education. Instead, these ideas are often engineered to justify policies that benefit those in power. Therefore, effective change must focus on policy reform rather than exclusively on individual education.

Economic and political interests drive racism. Legislators and those in power often implement racist policies to secure social or financial advantages. Subsequent racist ideas serve as a narrative to explain away the resulting disparities.

Examples of racist policies leading to racist ideas:

• Slavery resulted in theories regarding intellectual hierarchy.
• Segregation led to the belief that cultures were naturally incompatible.
• Mass incarceration fueled the stereotype of specific groups being prone to crime.
• Targeted immigration laws reinforced perceptions of group 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 functions as a support for racism. The self-label of "not racist" often serves as a way to avoid the responsibility of challenging the status quo while maintaining a sense of moral purity. However, this passivity allows existing racist systems to continue functioning without interruption.

Antiracism is defined by active engagement. To be antiracist is to consistently seek out and challenge racist frameworks. This is not a permanent label or a passive state of being, but a continuous cycle of analysis and corrective action.

Key distinctions:

• Racist: An individual who supports racist policies or communicates racist ideas.
• "Not racist": An individual who claims a neutral stance, effectively allowing racism to continue.
• Antiracist: An individual who actively works to dismantle 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.

Inequity is a systemic outcome. Disparities in wealth, health outcomes, and educational attainment are not the result of group traits or cultural failures. They are the direct consequence of policies designed to create and maintain unequal opportunities and environments.

Focus on individual rather than group behavior. An antiracist perspective rejects the notion that any race is inherently better or worse than another. Actions should be judged at the individual level rather than being used to characterize an entire racial group.

Areas where racist policies create inequities:

• Housing (such as discriminatory lending and redlining).
• Education (including funding gaps and biased discipline).
• Justice (such as sentencing differences and law enforcement conduct).
• Health (including unequal medical treatment and access).
• Labor (such as biased hiring and the wage gap).

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 the concept of a superior culture. The expectation that marginalized groups should adopt the norms of a dominant group suggests that the original cultures are insufficient. This mindset validates and upholds existing racial power imbalances.

Diversity is not a deficit. Antiracism involves recognizing the legitimacy of all cultural expressions. It rejects the idea that any specific culture should serve as the universal standard for success or behavior.

Problems with assimilationist thinking:

• It suppresses cultural variety and identity.
• It shifts the blame for inequality onto the marginalized groups.
• It ignores the structural obstacles to true equity.
• It validates the dominance of a single cultural perspective.
• It reinforces existing biases and stereotypes.

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 recognizes differences without hierarchy. Practicing antiracism means valuing cultural distinctions while refusing to rank them. It involves an appreciation for how diversity strengthens a society.

Opposing racial stereotypes is essential. Being antiracist requires one to actively debunk generalizations about racial characteristics. It involves perceiving individuals as products of their unique environments and choices rather than as representatives of a predetermined racial nature.

Ways to practice racial equality:

• Value cultural differences without treating them as exotic or stereotypical.
• Identify and address personal unconscious biases.
• Engage with a wide range of diverse viewpoints.
• Advocate for policies that ensure fair outcomes for all groups.
• Challenge racist language and generalizations when they occur.

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.

Identify specific policy drivers. While terms like "systemic racism" are common, they can be too broad to address effectively. Focusing on specific, identifiable policies allows for more targeted and successful interventions.

Use inequity as a diagnostic tool. Where there is a measurable disparity between racial groups, there is likely a racist policy at work. By analyzing unequal outcomes, we can pinpoint the underlying rules or laws that produce them.

Examples of racist policies:

• Voting requirements that disproportionately hinder minority participation.
• Drug enforcement strategies that lead to high rates of group-specific incarceration.
• Land-use regulations that maintain residential separation.
• Financing structures for schools based on local property values.
• National origin-based restrictions in immigration law.

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.

Identities overlap and influence experience. Racism does not function in a vacuum; it interacts with other types of discrimination. An individual’s experience is shaped by the combination of their race, gender, economic status, and other social identities.

A comprehensive strategy is required. For antiracism to be effective, it must recognize how various forms of oppression reinforce one another. This necessitates a movement that challenges multiple power systems simultaneously.

Key aspects of intersectionality:

• Acknowledges the complexity of individual lives.
• Identifies the specific hurdles faced by those with multiple marginalized identities.
• Demonstrates the links between different types of societal oppression.
• Promotes inclusive and diverse strategies for social change.
• Rejects the limitation of focusing on only one social issue at a time.

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.

Antiracism is a lifelong commitment. It is not a goal that is ever fully reached, but a persistent habit of identifying and dismantling racist concepts within oneself and the community. This process requires constant attention and a willingness to evolve.

Growth requires facing discomfort. Addressing personal privilege or internalized racist ideas can be painful. However, an antiracist path requires moving through that discomfort to achieve meaningful growth and social impact.

Strategies for antiracist self-reflection:

• Constantly analyze personal thoughts for signs of racial bias.
• Prioritize listening to the experiences of marginalized groups.
• Remain receptive to feedback regarding personal prejudices.
• Study the historical context and modern manifestations of racism.
• Maintain humility and recognize that unlearning racism is a permanent task.

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 shifts drive cultural shifts. History suggests that when laws and policies are changed, public attitudes eventually follow. Therefore, prioritizing the reform of systems is more productive than attempting to persuade individuals to abandon their prejudices.

Address power structures directly. Racism is maintained because it benefits those in control, not simply because of a lack of information. Antiracism must therefore target the structures of power that profit from inequality.

Reasons to prioritize policy change:

• It creates immediate, observable improvements in equity.
• It targets the fundamental causes of group disparities.
• It gradually influences societal beliefs and norms.
• It does not depend on the cooperation or conversion of those with racist views.
• It focuses on institutional accountability rather than individual intent.

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 is a necessary catalyst for change. The scale of systemic racism can be overwhelming, but maintaining hope is essential for long-term persistence. Resignation ensures that the current system will prevail.

The necessity of courage. Antiracism requires the bravery to look honestly at the flaws within our society and ourselves. It involves taking decisive action even when success appears unlikely.

Reasons for hope in antiracist struggle:

• Past successes of movements for racial justice.
• Rising global awareness and commitment to equity.
• The diversification of leadership across various sectors.
• Better academic and scientific understanding of racial dynamics.
• The transformative potential of solidarity and collective action.

Last updated: January 22, 2025