what is systemic racism?
Systemic racism shows up in the way that the policies and processes of an organization centre whiteness and white supremacy, bringing about a system that privileges white people and puts people of colour at a disadvantage.
anti-racist vs “not racist”
Anti-racism implies taking active action to combat systemic racism. Simply identifying as “not racist” denotes a more passive form of allyship in where you are able to distance yourself from the problem and remove individual responsibility. Given the historic and present severity of racial injustice, it is essential to make the shift away from “I’m not racist” towards “I am anti racist.” This necessitates tangible efforts to dismantle systemic racism and support racialized communities.
white privilege
White privilege is defined by Peggy McIntosh as “the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits and choices bestowed upon people solely because they are white.” Due to the reality that white people are not subjected to racism, these privileges are often unconscious.
bringing anti-racism work into the workplace
silence is violence – harm needs to be addressed, and staying silent is an act of complicity that allows for that harm to repeat in the future
do your own research – utilize the extensive educational resources available to you that have been created by people of colour (list at the bottom of the page). taking initiative to do your own research prevents this burden from being placed on your BIPOC employees.
invest in resources to aid healing – provide access to employee resource groups and affinity groups for BIPOC employees to have a safe space to connect with one another
create structural change top-down – focus on forwarding anti-racist thinking in the workplace with the help of facilitators and training to teach people at all levels of your organization about racial justice, unconscious bias, and microaggressions
ask for feedback – consult with your BIPOC employees on what their experiences with the workplace’s culture are and what gaps exist, listen to these needs and create a plan of action on how to address them
look at the big picture – take your anti-racist work outside the physical confines of your organization and internal culture to evaluate the effects of your external actions on bipoc communities, for example, do the products you produce or services you provide support these communities or harm them?
set clear goals – establish transparent anti-racist objectives for your workplace with KPIs (key performance indicators) assigned to each goal to measure your success over time
anti-racist resources for further reading
How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
