Racial literacy is a way of perceiving and responding to the racial climate and racial structures individuals encounter; an acceptance of the following principles:
(1) a recognition of the symbolic and material value of Whiteness; (2) racism as a current social problem, rather than a historical one; (3) an understanding that racial identities are learned and an outcome of social practices; (4) the possession of racial grammar and vocabulary that facilitates a discussion of race, racism, and anti-racism; (5) the ability to translate (interpret) racial codes and racialized practices; and (6) an analysis of the ways that racism is mediated by class inequalities, gender, hierarchies, and heteronormativity (Twine, 2004, 2006, 2007).

Anti-racism was first introduced in post-colonial France as a concept that fostered “enlightenment.” The original term was seen as a “tradition” that inculcates beliefs, value systems, and conventions of behavior (Loyd, 2008). In its contemporary domestic form, Black and Brown scholars adapted the term to capture a decolonized way of existing in myriad forms. Anti-racis(m/ist) is now meant to embody an identity–existing to dismantle white supremacy and critically challenge one’s complicity in it. (This reading list is a great place to begin the conversation).

I attempt to normalize the use of the term “white supremacy” as we are conditioned to believe that this concept is only relevant when we think about overt racist notions and groups such as the KKK, Neo-Nazis, and Turning Point USA, to name a few. Contemporarily, white supremacy refers to political, economic, and cultural systems in which whites overwhelmingly control power and material resources. It is a portrayal of conscious and unconscious ideas of white superiority and entitlement that are widespread, and relations of white dominance and non-white subordination are daily reenacted across a broad array of institutions and social settings (Ansley, CRT Theorist).

Being an ally to individuals of color means to utilize your white privilege in ways that are productive, sustained, and intentional. This means (1) intervening when racist comments or jokes are made by other white people; (2) defending and advocating for people of color when they are not in the space (reducing performative allyship), and (3) removing the white racial frames that we are forced to wear in the interest of upholding white supremacist notions.

Equity-based training teaches concepts that transcend the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” model that capitalizes on social norms and white social constructs that unknowingly reify whiteness and white supremacy. Understanding the difference between equality and equity is key. Equality is defined as the state of being “equal.” We know that “equality” is ideal just as “colorblindness” (a heavily entrenched concept that is often employed despite its harm) is ideal. These concepts are rooted in the delusion that white supremacy does not exist. Equity addresses an imbalance in systems and is proactive rather than reactive.

Cultural humility has been defined using two main characteristics (Hook, et al., 2013). First, on the intrapersonal dimension, cultural humility involves an awareness of one’s limitations, both in regard to one’s own cultural worldview (e.g., my cultural worldview is but one lens with which to view the world) and one’s ability to understand the worldview of others (e.g., my ability to understand another individual’s cultural background and experiences is limited). Second, on the interpersonal dimension, cultural humility involves an interpersonal stance that is other-oriented in relation to the other person’s cultural background and experiences, marked by respect and lack of superiority (Hook & Davis, 2019).

Decolonize or decolonization is to remove oneself from the experience of whiteness across several matrices. For example, one can teach from a decolonized lens (i.e., by including erased narratives or selecting textbooks that are inclusive and intentional). When we use the terms colonization or colonialism, we are referring to theft of indigenous land and “re-civilization” practices that are predicated on whiteness and white religious underpinnings. Decolonize is to remove or depart from white-centered or white-standardized practices.

The RaceTalk workshop as an in-person immersive experience includes a standard format, but varies in how I respond to participants in real time. There may be some deviation depending on the culture of the institution or the dynamic of the room. Additionally, attendees have the opportunity to ask questions in real-time, whereas the online course will provide “commonly asked questions” from previous panel presentations that will be answered in two formats (e.g., text or video).

First: Imagine you were on the other side of our racial caste system and you experienced on a daily basis: dehumanization, tokenization, disenfranchisement, never being given the benefit of the doubt, hypervigilance, cognitive dissonance, fear of brutality resulting in your murder, shame, guilt, anger, resentment, lethargy, and a host of other psychological consequences, that over time, broke down your immune system, increased your chance of heart disease and diabetes, and stripped you of your ability to dream.

Second: Develop a RaceTalk narrative in person or via the online course coming soon!

Third: Utilize the resources provided.

Fourth: Educate yourself.

Fifth: Take ownership for your complicity in white supremacy and be intentional by removing your white racial frames.

Sixth: Schedule a RaceTalk workshop or panel.