Recently, I have had a number of people asking me what it means to be racist. They mention times that they might have worn something or said something without meaning to offend and been called racist when they themselves know that they are not such. To be racist is often thought of as pejorative…the ultimate insult.  If someone accuses one of racism, that person is quick to defend themselves as “not racist” because of the negative connotation that being racist has.  However, there are others who believe that society itself is racist and therefore, being part of racist system makes you, if you have racial privilege, automatically racist. For the latter group, the term “racist” doesn’t mean that someone is bad but that they are unaware of the impact of their actions on others, and in fact, may look for ways that they themselves are racist in order to improve.

I posit that we need clear definitions to work with that can help us determine where we are on the continuum of racism and antiracism. To be fair, these definitions do exist but are not always agreed upon. For example,  Ibram Kendi suggests his own continuum between racist and anti racist, rejecting the term “not racist” all together. He suggests that at all times we are either racist or antiracist and can swing between the two. I, however, reject that definition and venture to say that there is a middle ground. That middle ground is “not racist.”  Let’s take a look at my definitions below.

Racist – Someone who is racist wants life in the United States to go back to what it was before the Civil Rights Act of 1965. They would love to return to a time when there was a segregated society where privilege and opportunity were reserved for a select few. Those who are racist are ready to cause harm, or they delight in harm caused by others to groups of people who are different from their own identity group. They know that their actions or the actions of others may cause disproportionate harm to minoritized groups, but they use religion or other philosophies such as “law and order” to justify that harm. 

Not Racist – Those who are “not racist” believe whole heartedly in the Civil Rights Movement. They never want to cause harm to anyone or want to see others harm anyone. They may attend protests against obvious racism or teach their students/children about Martin Luther King and other Civil Rights heroes. However, they have unintentionally picked up on the biases in society and without intention, may cause harm. For example, if they are a teacher, they may perceive a minority student’s self advocacy as aggressive although they see a white student who behaves the same way as having learned to self advocate. As a manager, they may expect a softer tone from minority employees than from white employees. They may make statements that are offensive because they have heard these statements all their lives. While of course anybody could make these mistakes, those who are not racist do not take the time to self-reflect and correct these errors.

Antiracist – Antiracists recognize that there are societal biases against minoritized groups that they have unintentionally absorbed, and that these biases may hurt others. Therefore, they actively try to dismantle not only societal biases, but also biases that they themselves have internalized. When they work at a societal level, they do not engage just in protests, but when they see biased actions against a minoritized individual, they will call it out regardless of the personal cost. At a personal level, they may consistently attend workshops, read books/articles, or have discussions with others about antiracism. If someone points out a biased action, rather than taking offense, they analyze the validity of the criticism and work to dismantle any biases that might have caused that action. They grapple with scenarios that may not be clean cut, trying to understand the impact they are having on others. And they constantly self-reflect to see if they have unknowingly caused harm to anyone belonging to a minoritized group.

It is important to note that the line between racism and antiracism is a continuum. There may be times when we behave as antiracists, but there will also be other times when we are just not racist. For anyone, it is hard to live up to their ideals all the time. There will be times when we want a break from being antiracist, and grappling with how much of a break is self care and how much is ignoring the fact that victims of racism may not have those same breaks is part of the journey.

So I urge you to analyze your actions.  Where on the continuum between racist and antiracist do you fall? And if you are mostly “not racist,” what can you do to move yourself more towards “antiracist?” 

And if you or your institution want help in addressing racism and/or bias, please feel free to reach out to me.