Chapter 16 - How To Be An Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi

Chapter 16 - Failure

Activist: One who has a record of power or policy change. 

Civilizing programs will fail since all racial groups are already on the same cultural level...Healing symptoms instead of changing policies is bound to fail in healing society." Pg. 202

"Challenging the conjoined twins (racism and capitalism) is bound to fail to address economic-racial inequity." Pg. 202

"The problem of race has always been at its core the problem of power, not the problem of immorality of ignorance." Pg. 208

"To fight for mental and moral changes after policy is changed means fighting alongside growing benefits and the dissipation of fears, making it possible for antiracist power to succeed. To fight for mental and moral change as a prerequisite for policy change is to fight against growing fears and apathy, making it almost impossible for antiracist power to succeed." Pg. 208

"Self-critique allows change. Changing shows flexibility. Antiracist power must be flexible to match the flexibility of racist power, propelled only by the craving for power to shape policy in their inequitable interests." Pg. 214

Protest = organizing people for a prolonged campaign that forces policy change
Demonstration = mobilizing people momentarily to publicize a problem

"Unless power cannot economically or politically or professionally afford bad press--as power could not during the Cold War, as power cannot during election season, as power cannot close to bankruptcy--power typically ignores demonstrations." Pg. 215

Self-Examination.
How can I use my position as an educator and sponsor of my schools Black Student Union? How can I remove barriers for the students to protest racist ideas and policies that they encounter during the school day and school year? I need to continue to learn strategies and solutions to racist ideas and policies. 

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