A BRIEF + BEGINNER ANTI-RACISM GUIDE

JUNE 2020 (last update 6.5.20)

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This guide is intended to serve as a beginner resource to brown (non-Black POC), white people and their families to deepen our anti-racism work as a community that wants to support the Black community. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, you can start right now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.

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What is going on now?

George Floyd, a Black man, was being detained by Minneapolis Police for a non-violent forgery charge. A white officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned him to the ground by kneeling on his neck. Floyd was being compliant and was not resisting arrest. Three officers stood by watching as Floyd pleaded “I can’t breathe” over and over again. He died at the hospital a short time later.

Proceeding the death of George Floyd, there has been a spark of outrage, cries for help, and a call for anti-racism work and education not only in the United States but across the globe.

What’s been going on before this incident?

The Black community specifically and originally Africans were brought here not by their own will but as slaves to the United States of America. America was built by African-Americans and the Black community which was the system of slavery.

Though liberation and freedom has been granted, to this day the problem is that the Black community is disproportionately treated compared to any other community and race. They face prejudices on the national level; including the most extreme injustices of police brutality + incarceration.

“Those of us who have studied American history — truly studied American history — are aware that the country was built on racist ideology,” the post says. “In just over our first century of existence, the Genocide of Native Americans, Slavery, Reconstruction, and the Chinese Exclusion Act solidified the white supremacist ideas about personhood that would dictate not only the direction of our country but of our racial understandings of each other. This system was created by design and we have allowed it to continue.”

Why does this concern non-Black POC and others?

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was largely due to the tireless acts of protests by the Black community and activists from the 1920s onwards.

If it weren’t for the Black activists, Asians and other non-Black POC may have not had the chance to live in America.

We have as non-Black POCs a certain privilege that can be leveraged towards collective equity (not just equality). See more here.

Non-Black POC do not experience the same challenges or violence that white supremacy enacts on the Black and African-American communities. We have the power to speak to our own communities to unlearn racist thoughts/tendencies, start a discourse and take actions.

What is the Black Lives Matter Movement?

Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities. The impetus for that commitment was, and still is, the rampant and deliberate violence inflicted on us by the state.

#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.

Black Lives Matter is more of a human rights movement rather than a civil rights/Black community movement. BLM's focus has been less about changing specific laws and more about fighting for a fundamental reordering of society wherein Black lives are free from systematic dehumanization.

tl dr; This is a human issue movement since the Black community has been treated less than human since the birth of this country.

What is racism?

There are different levels of racisms, each affecting our current society.

  • Individual: Pre-judgement, bias or discrimiation by an individual based on race
  • Institutional: Policies, practices and procedures that work better for white people than for people of color, often unintentionally or inadvertently
  • Structural: A history and current reality of the interstitial racism across all institutes. This combines to create a system that negatively impacts communities of color.

Individually you can either be racist, not racist and, taking it one step further, anti-racist.

  • Not Racist (passive): I would never be racially prejudiced towards the Black community, but I have no control if they experience it from someone else nor will I step in to confront the prejudice.
  • Anti-Racist (active): I would never be racially prejudiced towards the Black community, and I will try my best to ensure they don’t experience it from someone else.

If you find that you are ‘not racist’ but still not anti-racist, learn about why, it could be because of your implicit bias. We all have implicit biases, no matter our identities and regardless of how educated we are on the topic. These biases manifest themselves in ways that have impacts we may not desire. We can learn and internalize these messages and biases very early in our lives, implicit biases are malleable and the associations we form can be unlearned, but until you learn your own implicit bias it can manifest outwards which can turn into microaggressions.

Realize that racism is learned and can be unlearned but at the root of it, it’s an act of violence starting at the microaggression level.

  • Microassaults: Conscious and intentional actions or slurs, such as using racial epithets, displaying swastikas or deliberately serving a white person before a person of color in a restaurant.
  • Microinsults: Verbal and nonverbal communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person's racial heritage or identity. An example is an employee who asks a colleague of color how she got her job, implying she may have landed it through an affirmative action or quota system.
  • Microinvalidations: Communications that subtly exclude, negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings or experiential reality of a person of color. For instance, white people often ask Asian-Americans where they were born, conveying the message that they are perpetual foreigners in their own land.

Now take a look at how all of the microaggressions and casual racism can build to something more dangerous and violent. This is what we want to avoid.

How does racism turn into systematic oppression?

Institutional and Structural racism working in conjunction has led our society to a cycle of systematic oppression which affects the Black community in all facets of their daily lives.

  • Systemic oppression exists at the level of institutions (harmful policies and practices) and across structures (education, health, transportation, economy, etc) that are interconnected and reinforcing over time
  • Systemic oppression is systematic and has historical antecedents; it is the intentional disadvantaging of groups of people based on their identity while benefiting  members of the dominant group (gender, race, class, sexual orientation, language, etc).
  • Systemic oppression manifests in economic, social, political and cultural systems and reinforcing over time.

Systematic oppression is real and the Black community is suffering from this institualized structure. Race Forward (a racial justice organization), put together these informational videos to teach the public examples of systematic oppression that a Black person may face on a daily basis and throughout their lives.

Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration

A small excerpt from the one of the videos:

“Did you know that over 40% of drug arrests are not for selling any drugs but just for possession of marijuana? And that White and Black Americans are about equally likely to use marijuana, but Blacks are 3.7 more likely to be arrested for it? And that even if they don't get convicted of a crime that arrest can stay on their record and affect their chances at good jobs, housing and bank loans for the rest of their lives?”

To take the above to the next level and see multiple examples of systematic oppression working together to keep the Black community down:

The above creates a huge wealth gap between individuals and the community. The access to proper legal aid is less possible for the oppressed groups; therefore where someone from a privileged group can hire a decent lawyer, plea down or get charges fully dismissed, many times individuals from the Black community will be set up with a public defender who will only fight to plea the charge down, but doesn’t have the means to put in the work to get charges dismissed.

This creates an ongoing cycle of incarceration of Black individuals. Incarceration or the fact they cannot dismiss charges or arrests from their record will lead to decreased employment opportunities and increase housing discrimination which then leads back to widening the wealth gap.

All of these components working together creates a holistic institualized structure of systematic oppression that keeps the Black community disadvantaged.

Systemic oppression and its effects can be undone through recognition of inequitable patterns and intentional action to interrupt inequity and create more democratic processes and systems supported by multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-lingual alliances and partnerships. In short, this is why it matters that we leverage our voices from other communities to support, uplift and amplify the message of equity for all, especially the group that needs it the most which is the Black community.

Does reverse racism exist?

Before diving into if reverse racism exists, we need to differentiate between prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

Prejudice is something all people have, we aren’t born with it, but we learn it via socialization and it gets internalized into us through our culture. Prejudice is attitudes and feelings. It is a learned prejudgment about members of a group to which we do not belong. It’s based on limited contact and limited knowledge of this “other” group.

All humans have prejudice. Prejudice can be unlearned and not acted upon.

Discrimination is action that comes from prejudice. It’s making choices based upon stereotypes and prejudgments. It’s avoiding certain people or places.

All humans can discriminate. Discrimination can be unlearned and not enacted.

Remember:

Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. These views can take the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems. Which brings us to oppression.

Oppression is:

Prejudice and Discrimination + Institutional and Structural Power = Oppression

Oppression means to “hold down” a group of people and depends upon harnessing prejudice and discrimination within ideological, legal, social, and day to day contexts that are rooted in historical, institutional, ideological, and structural forms of power.

Assumptions and stereotypes about white people are examples of racial prejudice and discrimination, not racism. Racial prejudice refers to a set of discriminatory or derogatory attitudes based on assumptions deriving from perceptions about race and/or skin colour. Thus, racial prejudice can indeed be directed at white people (e.g.,  white people can’t dance) but is not considered racism or oppression because of the systemic relationship of power.

Not all people can oppress. Only those who benefit from historical and institutional power can oppress. Therefore reverse racism cannot exist because oppression and racism rely on a group of people to act in the form of social action or practices.

Next Steps - Reflect:

Take a moment to reflect and really examine your journey with racial sentiments, microaggressions, exclusivity vs. inclusivity etc towards the Black Community before you dive into further materials and educate yourself.

Examine your friend groups

  1. What traits set you apart? Do you have friends outside of your own race and gender?
  2. If you don’t have other POCs or Black individuals in your life, why is that? Is it because you never went to school or lived around a Black person? What created that barrier?
  3. If you have other POCs in your life, who are they and what is their proximity to your life?
  4. Do you discuss your identities with one another?
  5. Does the topic of oppression come up? Do they feel comfortable to bring up oppression with you? Why or why not?
  6. What has been your reaction?

Examine the language you use

  1. Using AAVE aka African-American Vernacular English or colloquially Ebonics
  2. Using the N word
  3. Using the terms “those people” when talking about the Black community
  4. Using any derogatory language, see here
  5. Having microaggressions in your head or out loud towards a Black person or group of people (see above section)

Examine your attitude towards the Black community

  1. How do you feel about the community and why?
  2. Do you have anti-Black sentiments?
  3. Do you become more alert if there is a Black person present?
  4. Do you have anti-Black dating preferences?
  5. Do you participate in Black culture appropriation?
  1. Listening to hip-hop or jazz
  2. Using AAVE in casual conversation
  3. Adopting fashion and style originated by the Black community
  1. Do you adopt Black culture while ignoring the abuse of the Black community?
  2. Do you adopt the Black culture and honor the Black artists + creators? Do you give them credit?
  3. Have you been involved in any sort of microaggressions towards the Black community, whether out loud or in your mind? Do you ever think if something happens to a Black individual “of course”? Is that an “of course” that happened because they are Black or is it “of course” because you recognize the system in place to keep them down?
  4. In what ways does your proximity to whiteness afford you privileges that aren’t extended to the Black community?
  5. How have you been conditioned to believe in the superiority of whiteness?
  6. Have you engaged in rhetoric that promotes othering or stereotyping of Black people?
  7. Have you used language that groups the entire Black Community together in a stereotypically or negative manner?
  8. Have you allowed racist remarks said around you without speaking up? Did you even notice these comments were made? Did you care? Did it register as racist?

Next Steps - Educate Yourself:

Books

Articles

Blog Posts + other resources

Videos + Podcasts

Find a full list + additional resources here

Next Steps - Understand:

To dive further into your journey of anti-racism, you must understand why the movement is important, why we need to get involved and how to approach the conversation.

Why are the protests happening?

Innocent individuals from the Black community are being, not only, systematically oppressed but killed and the level of  injustices has not declined.

George Floyd, who died while restrained by a police officer in the middle of a Minneapolis street in daylight, though he posed no physical threat. His alleged offense? Passing a counterfeit bill to buy a pack of cigarettes. Before him it was Breonna Taylor, an emergency room technician in Louisville, Ky., shot dead in her own apartment by officers who used a battering ram to burst through her front door.

Before Ms. Taylor it was Laquan McDonald. And Eric Garner. And Michael Brown. And Sandra Bland. And Tamir Rice. And Walter Scott. And Alton Sterling. And Philando Castile. And Botham Jean. And Amadou Diallo.

The list goes on and on, and on and on. Black Americans brutalized or killed by law enforcement officers, who rarely if ever face consequences for their actions. Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck until he was dead, had 18 prior complaints filed against him. Enough is enough. It is time to take the streets because the system has not changed and the peaceful/silent protests did not work.

How can I talk to my Black/African-American friends?

The best thing to do right now is listen, support and uplift their voices.

If you have nothing to say:

“I don’t know what to say but I see you’re in pain and if there’s anything you need from me, I’m here for you.”

If you want to learn more and listen:

“I don’t fully understand, but I want to because you’re my friend/I love you/I care about you/you’re important to me. How is this affecting you?

If you want to take action and step up:

“Ok, I’m here for you. Where are we going? What are we doing? Who are we fighting?”

But note, it is NOT up to the Black community to educate on the matters. Please take your own time to educate yourselves. Sign up for Twitter or Instagram to continue your education and see a more holistic view of the movement rather than just consuming what the big media news corps are feeding you.

Why is saying All Lives Matter wrong?

To say this in my voice wouldn’t be enough, here are articles written by Black journalists. Here is a chance to do your own research and think critically surrounding racism vs. anti-racism and why saying this statement is wrong.

Here's Why It Hurts When People Say All Lives Matter

Why You Need To Stop Saying "All Lives Matter"

Why should I be helping?

Simply put, this is a human issue. This affects all of us. What is happening is wrong. For more persuasion, read the poem “First they came”.

What is the appropriate response to the protests and current state of the country?

Though no one wants to see their communities, streets and businesses destroyed, we have to stand with the Black community and support their outrage. This isn't revenge. This isn’t retaliation. This is a form of protest and a public outcry to stop killing the Black community. Rather than look at the destruction, understand the escalation for this outrage.

If you are non-Black POC, you have been born with privilege because your skin color doesn’t have as large of a target on it as they do. The fear we might feel right now while riots may be breaking out is the fear a Black person faces the second they’re born and throughout their lives.

When reacting to the protests, make sure you place your frustrations appropriately. This should be outrage and anger towards the system that chose to oppress an entire community of people.


Remember, peaceful protests are always the initial response (remember Colin Kaepernick taking a knee?), but that has been left on deaf ears.

Again, enough is enough.

Why is just watching the News not enough visibility into the movement?

Media bias is prevalent and you need to be careful of blindly reading and believing everything you consume. Disinformation preys on our biases and our behavior to gain traction, especially in a crisis. We are much more likely to share something that fits our world view. We instinctively trust images and video, but they can be taken out of context, edited or digitally manipulated.

To avoid this, make sure you’re getting your information from various social mediums. Do your own research. Right now it is crucial to not read a headline and take it as fact. Open the video, inspect it, read, research and find similar articles to make sure it is fact. To make an opinion based on a headline or without proper research is lazy and can cause more Black individuals dying because of anti-Black sentiments.

Examples:

The looters and rioters are not predominantly Black Lives Matter protesters. These are other groups of individuals who are masking their anarchist dreams by pretending to march with the Black community.

There are more peaceful protests than chaotic protests.

We all love a happy ending, but some cops are giving lip service then turning around and shooting tear gas into the crowds and not practicing what they just preached.

Lastly, do not buy into any messaging that is white people vs. black people, this is anti-racists + the black community vs. the racists and the system that they fuel.

What else can I do?

Before going into the Call to Action section I want to note that there is a ton more information and resources out there.

This is just a quick guide I put together to get you started but I urge each and every individual who is using this guide to start researching and participating on your own.

Instagram and Twitter are great sources for live and on the ground footage and updates. I will link a few organizations and key accounts to follow below.

Call to Action - Next Steps:

Silence is not the answer

  • Silence is being complicit and allowing the violence to continue
  • Repost and share posts on your social media that supports #BlackLivesMatter
  • Continue to educate yourself and learn how to be more actively anti-racist
  • Recognize the anti-Black sentiments within yourself and challenge them
  • Start a conversation with your family and friends
  • Correct friends and family if they use racist language or microaggressions towards the Black community
  • Quick resource for next steps - https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Donate

Petitions to sign

Justice for George Floyd

I run with Ahmaud

Justice for Tony McDade

Justice for Jennifer Jeffley

Defund the Police

Victims of Slavery and Injustice

Write to your representatives

Put pressure on the DA

  • The police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd has been arrested, read here on why it is important and how to contact a DA to put pressure on going forward

VOTE!

How do elections work?

Check if you’re registered

Register to vote

Check your states absentee rules ahead of time

Vote by Mail Ballot Request

Swing States to Blue States

Volunteer for Democratic Campaigns

Go out + Protest

  • Bring a piece of paper with key numbers (family, friends, lawyer) on it with a codename, make multiple copies to hand out if you are in fear of getting arrested or separated with your group. The codename is so your friends and family can identify why someone random is calling.
  • Write your key numbers on your leg in case your phone dies, gets confiscated, or broken.
  • Bring a sharpie to exchange info
  • Do not carry your ID
  • Know how to treat pepper spray
  • If you are a non-Black POC or white, be prepared to be a shield for the Black community, that means put your body in front of theirs when it’s peaceful to make sure things stay de-escalated
  • Follow the instructions of protest leaders, do not escalate and vandalize

Organizations + People to follow on Social Media

Support Black-owned business

Continue with your stance and journey of anti-racism

  • Attend panels or live events (digitally or otherwise) surrounding topical issues
  • Do your own research
  • Share this sheet with others, you can do the exercises together

This is just a beginner guide to get you started.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

If you have any questions, you can reach me at:

Instagram

Email

Document made and compiled by: A.Dasgupta, New York, NY, June 2020.