Antiracism

How We Understand Antiracism

Antiracist work can be compared to traveling upstream; if we are not actively moving against the flow, we are being led by the current. There is no neutrality in the racism struggle. Antiracism points us towards new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other that are liberating. It is an active process of going beyond racism, of discovering the next steps to take in contributing to the undoing of racism and building of a just and equitable society by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.

Being antiracist requires active learning, listening, and reflecting, paired with intentional holistic action. We believe that if you are not proactively taking action against racism in some way, you are contributing to the problem of racism. Antiracism is not an optional addition to our work; it is at the heart of all that training4changeS exists for.

Antiracism requires:

1. REFLECTION – It demands self-awareness, self-criticism, self-examination, and self-directed learning, as well as consistently identifying and describing racial inequities in the world around you.
2. RESTORATION – Struggling to be fully human while acknowledging that others are fully human. Every single person on the planet has inherent dignity and worth simply because they exist.
3. COLLABORATION – Honoring and celebrating all people as equals in all of their apparent differences, and working together towards stable, consistent goals.
4. ACTION – Striving to dismantle structures built on racism, and engaging in the task of building new and better antiracist structures.