Guide

We are all coming into this work from our own perspectives, with unique life experiences, and different understandings of words and ideas. However, when talking about things as insidious as race and racism, it’s crucial to develop a shared foundation of knowledge.

As we move through these steps, we will develop some common understandings about the complex construct of whiteness, so that we may confront it clearly and collaboratively, while simultaneously using that knowledge to deconstruct racism.

Think of this learning path like you’re going on a hike; this page is the trailhead, each of the following pages are stretches of that path, and at the end is the whole wide world.

Take your time, don’t rush it, look around the path and see what else is there, but don’t become complacent, because urgency is of the utmost importance. How does what you see make you feel? What does what you feel make you think? Where does all of that lead…?

The Four Step Path

1. Shared Definitions - One of the most essential things to have in common with each other is a shared understanding of what the words we use actually mean. When we all have slightly different connotations for commonly used language, it can create miscommunication that undermines constructive dialogue, turning an otherwise good intention into a bad outcome.

2. Prioritizing Poor People - To lay a foundation for our focus here, we must ground ourselves in purpose. One of the primary reasons for the existence of racism is to keep poor people poor and rich people rich. This is a short introduction to the development of class and power dynamics in the United States of America, as they intersect with race, from the initial colonization of this land up to the society we live in today.

3. Understanding Racism - Once we have some shared language with which to learn the origins and operations of race, and the contextualizing element of what makes poor people poor in this country, let’s dive a bit deeper into the working definition of racism, in all of its parts.

4. Defining Whiteness - For white people to truly understand racism enough to begin undoing it, there must be an awareness and knowledge of what whiteness actually is; as a racialized identity, as a socio-political caste, as well as a constellation of practices and processes that preserves the institutional policies of white supremacy. This section dives into the heart of what makes white people “white” people; the good, the bad, the ugly and the highly convoluted.

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   Lastly, in the Moving Forward section, we’ll take a look at the list of books that went into developing this website, as well as a list of shareable resources that you can absorb, and share with friends, family members, strangers, professors, coworkers, city-council members, business owners, taxi drivers, classmates, off-duty police officers, district attorneys, the person next to you on the bus, your employer, or whomever else you’d like to engage in dialogue around undoing racism…

   There are so many things you can do right now to support racial justice, starting with…