Chapter 1 - How To Be An Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi

Chapter 1 - Definitions

Racist: One who is supporting racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racist idea.
Antiracist: One who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an antiracist idea.

Racial inequality is when two or more groups are not standing on equal footing.
Racial equity is when two or more groups are standing on relatively equal footing.

Racist policy is any measure that produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups.
Antiracist policy is any measure that produces and sustains racial equity between racial groups.

Racist idea is any idea that suggests one racial group is inferior or superior to another racial group in any way.
Antiracist idea is any idea that suggests the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences -- there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.

Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas.

"We can unknowingly strive to be a racist. We can knowingly strive to be an antiracist. Like fighting an addition, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination." - Ibram X. Kendi

Self-Examination.
What educational policies do I support? Who benefits and who loses from my decisions in the classroom? What political policies do I support? Do these policies only positively affect people who look like me or all people? What ideas do I have about the people who I come in contact with? About my students? Do my actions demonstrate antiracist ideas?

Self-Awareness.
Persistent. Constant. Regular. My learning will never be complete. This is my responsibility. I need to check myself. I need to listen.

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