racism prevention essay

How Can We Stop Racism?

Racism is the belief that a person’s race determines their worth and abilities. This creates a racial hierarchy and the belief that certain races are superior to others. Racist beliefs have justified colonization, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the Holocaust. When aligned with power, racist beliefs become systemic racism. Laws – both written and unwritten – discriminate against some races while protecting and advancing others. How can we end racism? It must be addressed on both a personal and societal level. Here are three essential steps:

#1. Acknowledge racism in all its forms

This first step to ending racism is to recognize its existence. Many people think of racism as always overtly blatant or intentional, but racism comes in many forms. In the United States, studies show there’s bias in every sector of society from healthcare to housing to media. Job applicants with “stereotypical” African-American names are less likely to get called for an interview, while around the world, the beauty industry celebrates fair skin while degrading dark skin tones. It’s also important to understand the history and evolution of racism . Things like poll taxes and literacy tests kept people from voting. While these laws didn’t explicitly mention race, they intended to target marginalized groups.

Most people claim to hate racism, but if they aren’t able to identify what it is, it will inevitably continue to thrive. Those affected by racism are gaslit. They’re told their experiences aren’t actually examples of racism and that they’re misunderstanding what’s happening. People are even shamed for speaking up and told that by “changing the definition of racism,” they’re stripping the word “racism” of its meaning. This blend of denial, gaslighting, and shaming normalizes the more “subtle” forms of racism and allows it to thrive.

#2. Overturn racist and discriminatory laws

Getting rid of laws that negatively and disproportionately affect certain races is a vital part of ending systemic racism. It isn’t enough to simply acknowledge that a law has a racist intent or effect; it needs to be overturned. There are many examples of systemic racism around the world. In the United States, systemic racism is found in healthcare, banking, and education. In South Africa, the apartheid system (1948-1994) ensured that the white population stayed on top politically, socially, and economically, while black Africans were the most disenfranchised. China has a reputation for systemic racism against Black people in their universities. In 2020, the local Guangzhou government implemented strict surveillance and forced quarantines for all African nationals in response to Covid-19.

Getting rid of laws based on racism and designed to uphold unequal outcomes is necessary for ending systemic racism. Many people believe that society can stop racism by teaching love and acceptance, but the reality is that even if everyone stopped being racist overnight, the system would still produce outcomes that disproportionately impact certain races. That’s because the systems were designed with that specific intent even if they didn’t explicitly mention race. These discriminatory laws also reinforce racist beliefs by making it much harder for marginalized groups to break out of poverty, go to good schools, get certain jobs, and so on. With systemic barriers lifted, a person’s race stops being an obstacle that needs to be overcome.

#3. Commit to anti-racism

On an individual level, people must commit to being anti-racist for racism to end. While we just mentioned that systemic racism wouldn’t end even if everyone stopped being racist overnight, that first step in personal anti-racism is necessary for people to fight to end racist systems. Anti-racism is a lifelong pursuit. It isn’t an accomplishment you can check off a list; it’s a continuous self-reflection and willingness to be held accountable. To be anti-racist, you must acknowledge differences rather than pretending they aren’t there. As an example, when addressing the gender pay gap, it’s essential to acknowledge that white women make more than Black, Hispanic, and Native women. At the same time, anti-racists must also identify the common goals they share with other racial groups. This helps build solidarity.

Anti-racists also commit to allyship and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups. The role of an ally is a supportive one; it’s not an opportunity to play the savior. This support includes monetary support, speaking up when you witness racism, listening, and calling for more diverse representation. Mistakes will be made, but for racism to end, people must be willing to keep learning and keep trying. It’s the only way the world moves forward.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Survivors can't wait. Congress must support the CVF Stabilization Act and prevent catastro [Read More]

8 Everyday Ways to Fight Racism

March 21, 2017

On March 21, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) joins the global community in observing the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We recognize the importance of challenging racial injustice in our fight to end domestic violence.

“Injustice for one is injustice for all.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here are eight ways that you can fight racism in your community:

1. Learn to recognize and understand your own privilege.

One of the first steps to eliminating racial discrimination is learning to recognize and understand your own privilege. Racial privilege plays out across social, political, economic, and cultural environments. Checking your privilege and using your privilege to dismantle systemic racism are two ways to begin this complex process.

However, race is only one aspect of privilege. Religion, gender, sexuality, ability-status, socio-economic status, language, and citizenship status can all affect your level of privilege. Using the privileges that you have to collectively empower others requires first being aware of those privileges and acknowledging their implications. Learn more about the many types of privilege .

2. Examine your own biases and consider where they may have originated.

What messages did you receive as a kid about people who are different from you? What was the racial and/or ethnic make-up of your neighborhood, school, or religious community? Why do you think that was the case? These experiences produce and reinforce bias, stereotypes, and prejudice, which can lead to discrimination. Examining our own biases can help us work to ensure equality for all.

We encourage you to check out the PBS documentary, Race: The Power of Illusion , which tackles the social construct of race in the United States.

3. Validate the experiences and feelings of people of color.

Another way to address bias and recognize privilege is to support the experiences of other people and engage in tough conversations about race and injustice. We cannot be afraid to discuss oppression and discrimination for fear of “getting it wrong.” Take action by learning about the ways that racism continues to affect our society. For example, by watching documentaries, such as 13th , or reading books, such as Americanah or Hidden Figures .*

As advocates, we learn about domestic violence by listening to survivors of domestic violence. Similarly, the best way to understand racial injustice is by listening to people of color.

4. Challenge the “colorblind” ideology.

It is a pervasive myth that we live in a “post-racial” society where people “don’t see color.” Perpetuating a “colorblind” ideology actually contributes to racism .

When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described his hope for living in a colorblind world, he did not mean that we should ignore race. It is impossible to eliminate racism without first acknowledging race. Being “colorblind” ignores a significant part of a person’s identity and dismisses the real injustices that many people face as a result of race. We must see color in order to work together for equity and equality.

5. Call out racist “jokes” or statements.

Let people know that racist comments are not okay . If you are not comfortable or do not feel safe being confrontational, try to break down their thought process and ask questions. For example, “That joke doesn’t make sense to me, could you explain it?” Or “You may be kidding, but this is what it means when you say that type of thing.” Do not be afraid to engage in conversations with loved ones, coworkers, and friends. Microaggressions , which can appear in the form of racist jokes or statements, perpetuate and normalize biases and prejudices. Remember that not saying anything – or laughing along – implies that you agree.

6. Find out how your company or school works to expand opportunities for people of color.

Systemic racism means that there are barriers – including wealth disparities, criminal justice bias, and education and housing discrimination – that stack the deck against people of color in the workplace or at school. For example, the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) reported that in 2014, a 12-year-old girl faced criminal charges, in addition to expulsion from school, for writing “hi” on a locker room wall. Their campaign, #BlackGirlsMatter , addresses the issues of overpoliced and underprotected Black girls within the education system. It is important for companies and schools to address these issues and promote a culture of equity.

7. Be thoughtful with your finances.

Take a stand with your wallet. Know the practices of companies that you invest in and the charities that you donate to. Make an effort to shop at small, local businesses and give your money back to the people living in the community. Your state or territory may have a directory of local, minority-owned businesses in your area.

8. Adopt an intersectional approach in all aspects of your life.

Remember that all forms of oppression are connected. You cannot fight against one form of injustice and not fight against others.

Many survivors of domestic violence also face racism and other forms of oppression. We must recognize and support survivors’ unique experiences. Learn more about domestic violence and how you can help end it at NNEDV.org/GetInvolved .

* Learn more about how racial discrimination impacts survivors.

Check out some of our posts looking at the intersection of domestic violence and racial justice:

• Sexualized, Submissive Stereotypes of Asian Women Lead to Staggering Rates of Violence
• Complex Justice: Recognizing Racism, Sexism, and the Fight for Equality
• Women & Girls of Color: Stepping into the Spotlight
• Standing #WithRefugees on World Refugee Day
• Honoring the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: A Call to Action
• Demanding Justice #BlackLivesMatter
• NNEDV condemns ICE detention of immigrant victim of domestic violence
• The Art of Being a Dangerous Woman: Honoring bell hooks and Critical Thinking
• New Research Uncovers Racial Bias in Media Coverage of Celebrity Domestic Violence
• Ain’t I A Woman, Still?
• Chatting to #CenterEachOther

Follow NNEDV on Pinterest. We have a Racial Justice Pinterest Board discussing racial justice themes that impact survivors.

Join our online book club , Reader with a Cause ! We engage in conversations about popular books and themes including racial justice, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice .

Neag School of Education

Reducing racism in schools: the promise of anti-racist policies.

• by: Britney L. Jones
• September 22, 2020
• Community Engagement

Introduction

In 2020, the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others led to a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement across the nation and around the globe. The revitalization of this movement has come with increased public demand for policy change, and specific calls for anti-racist policies in schools. As a result, many educational leaders are grappling with what this means for their respective contexts, and the extent to which their school or district’s current policies measure up to public demand.

Educating and training teachers and administrators on how to enact culturally relevant and inclusive practices is one step towards eliminating racism in schools.

Educating and training teachers and administrators on how to enact culturally relevant and inclusive practices is one step towards eliminating racism in schools. Expressing a commitment to anti-racism through school policies, statements, guidelines, or codes takes these efforts a step further. Within the last decade, some schools and districts have penned their own anti-racist policies to detail the steps they are taking to disrupt racism within their locale. In this brief, I describe these policies and highlight recent initiatives aimed at eliminating racism in schools. As school and district leaders advance their own anti-racist policies and objectives, this policy brief provides guidance based on the practices of diverse districts in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Anti-Racist Policy in Schools

Anti-racist policies are usually documents drafted by a governing body and disseminated to staff, parents, and students in a particular district or school. Similar to a code of conduct, school handbook, or anti-bullying policy, the policy states the organization’s commitment to anti-racism and lays out procedures that must be followed in order to uphold the organization’s commitment to the cause of dismantling racism to create an inclusive, equity-oriented environment. Over the past decade, schools and districts, both nationally and internationally, have written and adopted policies to address racism, discrimination, and inequity in schools. U.S. districts often refer to these policies as equity policies, while in places such as the United Kingdom (U.K.), Australia, Ireland, and South Africa, similar policies are usually entitled anti-racist policies. Despite the difference in name, they often share similar objectives and features. Anti-racist and equity policies typically start with a statement of assurance that the board or governing body has considered the importance of racial equity, followed by a renunciation of discriminatory behavior within their context. Next, the document includes a definition of racism. Then, these policies describe the steps taken by the governing body to ensure equity or anti-racism.

Components of Anti-Racist Policy: Areas to Address

For this brief I examined over 25 publicly available equity or anti-racist policies from several states in the U.S. and from schools in Australia, South Africa, Ireland and the U.K. I found that most policies address racism through the lenses of:

• school environment,
• incident reporting,
• data analysis, and

After addressing these components, policies typically offer guidance or present action steps to support implementation. These include:

• providing a clear and accurate definition of racism for consumers of the policy,
• devising a plan for policy dissemination,
• appointing an anti-racist committee or point person,
• coupling equity/anti-racist policy with other school or district-wide policies, and
• partnering with external organizations.

Below I briefly describe each of these components.

School Environment: Creating an Anti-Racist/Equity-Oriented Culture and Climate

Most of the policies discuss the school environment at length. Generally, they describe ways in which school staff can create and maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. One way policies describe achieving this goal is through representation of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds in curricula, texts, hallway displays, and digital media. They also state the importance of incorporating positive role models and discussing issues of race and diversity within classrooms and during school-wide events. Several anti-racist/equity policies advocate events focusing on diversity and empathy building, such as Friendship Week or Multicultural Week. Policies also describe building teachers’ awareness of racism and bias as a means to shift culture and climate in the school. These policies require teachers to be mindful of cultural assumptions and bias, develop racial literacy, enact cultural responsiveness, and understand their own identity. In the Anti-Racist Policy of Bure Valley School in the U.K., the authors offer specific examples of how this can be done, asserting that students “should be confident to speak, hear or read in their home language in school” and have their names “accurately recorded and correctly pronounced” by teachers (p. 2).

Reporting: Developing a System for Reporting Racial Incidents

Most policies also detail reporting requirements. Authors of these policies aim to ensure a system is in place to deal with incidents of racism and discrimination. This component often lays out a specific procedure for responding to an incident including requiring a written report, timeline for resolution, documentation of resolution, and family notification. In addition to forms for reporting, many anti-racist/equity policies require a racism logbook or place for complaints to be recorded permanently. These policies also describe ways in which schools could support students who may be victims of a racist or discriminatory act. Some policies note that support for students involved in an incident should be ongoing and coupled with psychological or mental health services. Additionally, some policies encourage schools to help students feel empowered to report incidents and develop strategies for dealing with racial conflict.

Staffing: Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Diverse Staff with Equity/Anti-Racist Mindsets

Many of the policies emphasize the need to recruit and retain staff members dedicated to anti-racism, and committed to providing equity-based training for new and veteran educators. In its equity statement, the Princeton Public Schools District in New Jersey states, “The goal is to attract, develop, inspire, and retain a diverse workforce within a supportive environment.” Several other schools and districts echo this sentiment within their policies by describing their efforts to diversify their staff, both in terms of demographics and beliefs. They attempt to fulfill this goal through recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse teachers and administrators. They articulate the importance of hiring staff that mirrors the student population. Some districts or schools call for staff hiring to follow equal opportunity hiring procedures and the use of equity-oriented criteria for selection. For teachers already employed, policies name professional development and new staff training as opportunities to provide new learning around racial consciousness and inclusivity.

Data Analysis: Employing an Equity Lens to Identify Disparities and Inform Decision-Making

Several policies aim to challenge racism through race conscious data collection and review. According to these policies, “effective” review of data means testing for differences across student demographic groups in access, performance, and discipline. The Portland Public School District in Oregon suggests using data to identify and modify assessments that lead to over or under-representation of minoritized groups. For example, some policies identify focus areas such special education identification and suspension for review given the history of over-representation of students from minoritized groups in special education and among suspensions. Some state the goal of increasing the number of minoritized students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. Others call for a closer look at how selective admissions criteria for enrollment may lead to adverse effects and the ways in which admissions testing may disadvantage students of color. Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland states their plan to disaggregate data to “analyze trends, identify gaps, and develop racial equity priorities” (p. 4). To fulfill this objective of equity-oriented data analysis, some policies highlight the need for constant monitoring and reporting on progress towards goals.

Funding: Assessing and Allocating Funds for Equity Purposes

While undoubtedly important, funding is mentioned in only a few of the anti-racist/equity policies. Policymakers in Baltimore include the following line in their policy: “Ensure that purchasing/procurement practices provide access and economic opportunities within communities represented by students of color” (p. 4). This is one way that educational institutions can be mindful of their economic impact on the community. Schools may also decide to allot funds to ensure attainment of aforementioned objectives such as equitable hiring, staff training, and data analysis resources.

While undoubtedly important, funding is mentioned in only a few of the anti-racist/equity policies.

In sum, the policies reviewed tend to address five areas to enhance anti-racism and equity in their contexts. Creating equity-oriented objectives in the areas of school environment, incident reporting, staffing, data analysis, and funding is an important start. However, when drafting these documents, policymakers should include additional guidelines to support the implementation of anti-racist policies. Next, I describe some of the ways existing policies attempt to ensure attainment of policy objectives.

Components of Anti-Racist Policy: Process Elements to Support Implementation

Clearly and Accurately Define Racism

One way to create strong anti-racist policy is by providing a clear definition of racism to frame the policy. In addition to setting context for the policy, opening with a definition creates an opportunity to educate readers and norm on the school or district’s understanding of racism. Such definitions vary across policies. Some of the international anti-racist policies begin by distinguishing between personal and institutional racism and offer clear definitions for each. For example, in the U.K. the Truro School’s Anti-Racist policy relies on a definition from The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, which states that institutional racism is “the collective failure of an organisation to 
provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin.” The policy continues: “when a child is subject to racist bullying or harassment, their behaviour and attainment are likely to be affected; if the behaviour is treated in isolation without taking into consideration the issues and effects of racism, this can be described as institutional racism. The racist element must be explicitly recognised and dealt with” (p. 2). This definition is provided before any other components of the policy are explained. Policymakers should consider how their context defines equity and racism before laying out a plan to address these issues. Consumers of anti-racist policy may be better equipped to follow subsequent guidelines if they have a foundational understanding of the problem and the purpose of the policy.

Policy Dissemination

The second way policymakers intend to make these policies come alive is through a plan for dissemination. Many policies are available online, on the school or district website. Other strategies for distribution include a physical copy in a designated location such as a school’s main office and inclusion in student and staff handbooks. One district states that a summary of the policy will be included in students’ yearly planners. Other ideas for dissemination include public displays in prominent areas of the school, placement in newsletters, and discussions during assemblies. Importantly, several anti-racist/equity policies name all parties that should review the policy, including staff, parents, students, contractors, service provides, and any other school visitors.  

  Appointing a Committee or Point-Person

The third way policymakers support implementation of these policies is by putting an individual or group in charge of monitoring the school’s progress towards goals. In some cases this is the superintendent or another school leader; in other contexts, an equity committee is charged with this responsibility. For example, in Shaker Heights, Ohio there is an equity task force made up of 11 educators, nine community members, and two students. In general, the governing body or individual is required to report to the school board, make recommendations based on data, promote alignment between equity and other goals, present tools or resources, and ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Most policies describe the need for an annual report or review as part of their action plan.

Coupling Anti-Racist/Equity Policies with Other School Policies

A fourth way to promote accountability and adherence to anti-racist/equity policy is by associating it with other school policies, especially those that are well established. Most of the policies reviewed for this brief are linked to other policies focusing on topics such as: discipline, behavior, anti-bullying, school safety, the staff code of conduct, and the student code of conduct. Several anti-racist/equity policies identify their relationship to standards and curriculum and federal laws regarding race and discrimination. Attaching these policies to existing initiatives helps to integrate them into the organizational fabric of these educational institutions.

Partnering with External Organizations

Finally, to support implementation of anti-racist policy, schools and districts should seek guidance from organizations already committed to anti-racist work. Several policies name equity-based or anti-racist organizations with which they were affiliated. This is an important component because it lessens the burden on educational systems to deal with complex issues of race and equity on their own and presents the opportunity to rely on the expertise of government agencies, universities, community organizations, research organizations, and anti-racist nonprofits. This can also facilitate and strengthen relationships between schools and communities.

A Promising Example

As mentioned above, many of the existing anti-racist and equity policies were drafted after 2010. Yet, recent events and the current sociopolitical climate signal the need to revisit and strengthen these policies. One district has done just this. In June 2020, the Indianapolis Public School District in Indiana, led by superintendent Aleesia Johnson, unanimously adopted a new Racial Equity Policy and publicly affirmed that Black lives matter in a resolution. Resolution No. 7861 and Board Policy 1619 – Racial Equity Mindset, Commitment, and Actions comes at a time when the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement is palpable. This district is demonstrating how to use policy, first, to take responsibility for systemic failure to adequately support Black and Brown students in the past, and, second, to plan for a better future.

In June 2020, the Indianapolis Public School District in Indiana, led by superintendent Aleesia Johnson, unanimously adopted a new Racial Equity Policy and publicly affirmed that Black lives matter in a resolution. Resolution No. 7861 and Board Policy 1619 – Racial Equity Mindset, Commitment, and Actions comes at a time when the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement is palpable.

With this new policy, the Indianapolis Public School District details specific action steps to increase racial equity. These include:

• partnership with the Racial Equity Institute (which helps organizations challenge systems of power and increase equity);
• restructuring, reducing, and auditing police presence and practices in schools;
• implementing a Supplier Diversity Policy with the aim of supporting local businesses (particularly those owned by women, people of color, and veterans);
• creating school-based equity teams for data analysis;
• increasing the recruitment and retention of Black staff;
• ensuring equitable enrollment across school types;
• shifting the budget to be more student centered and allocating funds to aid schools demonstrating the highest need; and
• considering how housing segregation impacts school choice and limiting boundaries to school access in the enrollment process.

We can all learn from this policy, with its high level of detail alongside the very public commitment by the board and superintendent. Not only does this new policy incorporate many of the aforementioned components such as commitment to reform in the areas of funding, data analysis, and school environment, the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) District has also developed strong plans to support its implementation. The district has partnered with the Racial Equity Institute to refine goals and train staff. IPS also signals the importance of considering other areas of anti-racist policy reform such as police presence in schools, and recognizing Juneteenth as a district holiday. It is also worthwhile to note that the IPS district acted swiftly by moving up the release of this new policy (initially set to be released later in the summer) to respond to recent acts of racism and injustice in the national news. Other districts around the country should follow IPS’s lead.

Recommendations for Creating Anti-Racist Policies

The components of existing equity/anti-racist education policies described above provide a general understanding of what these policies should include: equity-oriented objectives for school climate, incident reporting, staffing, data analysis, and funding. The creators of these policies should also consider providing a clear definition of racism, laying out a plan regarding how to communicate the objectives of the policy to the broader community, specifying the individual(s) who will oversee policy implementation, identifying the connections between anti-racist policy and other school policies, and outlining how to leverage partnerships with external organizations committed to increasing equity.

In addition to these components, I share two additional suggestions for those drafting anti-racist policy. The first addresses the accessibility of anti-racist policy and associated tools or resources. The second deals with attention to the personal and interpersonal work that must be done to implement anti-racist policy. I describe each in further detail below.

Accessibility

Several schools and districts made their policies and equity tools easily accessible to staff and the public alike. Having materials and policies readily available increases the likelihood that teachers and school leaders have access to and use resources. It also creates a more collegial environment as other schools and districts attempt to create their own anti-racist policies. For example, the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota shares an Equity and Diversity Impact Assessment tool on their website, and the Jefferson County Public School District in Louisville, Kentucky publicly shares their tools for equity analysis. Rather than reinventing tools, other districts may choose to cite and borrow from such existing assessments. The Shaker Heights, Ohio School District website provides a link to an equity resources page with suggested reading and links to equity-oriented organizations, while the Indianapolis Public Schools website has a link to its  “Say Their Names” toolkit “to help foster productive conversations about race and civil disobedience.” Links to these sorts of additional resources, readings, and campaigns offer helpful guidance as schools and districts across the country, and beyond, attempt to strengthen their anti-racist efforts.

Attention to the Personal and Interpersonal Work of Anti-Racist Policy Implementation

Districts and schools seeking to advance anti-racism and equity can attend to the aforementioned components to create effective policy. However, they must also consider the deeply personal work that is required alongside anti-racist reform. Many of these policies ask school staff to interrogate their own biases, positions of power, and privilege. The extent to which these types of personal reflection are encouraged and occur contextualizes policy implementation. Based on a study done with schools in California, the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education identified characteristics of schools with a record of narrowing the impact of racism and inequity. The authors stress the need for equity-oriented school leaders to guide staff and high levels of trust among members of the school community. This report highlights the need to consider the ways in which school-level features and interactions matter for the implementation of anti-racist or equity policy. Thus, in addition to focusing on the components within anti-racist or equity policies, we must also consider the characteristics and dispositions associated with positive change and increased student performance at the school and district level.

Some districts have supported educators in engaging in the vital personal and interpersonal work necessary to advance anti-racism and equity. Pat Savage-Williams, president of Evanston Township Board of Education in Illinois, shares advice for fellow board members looking to challenge racial inequity. In her article posted on the school board website , she promotes many of the components described in this brief, such as being data informed, using school budgets to limit disparities, and developing external partnerships. Additionally, she suggests that board members be willing to undergo a personal journey of reflection and understanding to expand their knowledge of racial issues, and should “expect opposition.” This example underscores the work that must be done on an individual and interpersonal level to make these policies come alive.

This policy described the topics addressed in anti-racist schooling policies and outlined the shifts educational leaders are making to strengthen and clarify not only their policies, but also their personal stance on racism and equity.Policymakers must consider how they define racism, the objectives of anti-racist policy, and how to make the policy actionable. After creating and revising anti-racist policies, policymakers must also consider the characteristics of the school community in which these documents will live. Following these steps can lead to policy changes that interrupt the status quo. As students and communities demand change, educational institutions must consider how they will respond and whether that response disrupts or facilitates systems of inequity.  

Britney L. Jones is a doctoral candidate in the Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy program at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Her research interests include culturally relevant and inclusive practices in K-12 contexts with a focus on teachers’ sociopolitical consciousness. Her doctoral work follows a BA in education studies and an MA in elementary teaching, both from Brown University. Britney also worked previously as a fourth-grade teacher and science curriculum developer. For more information, contact [email protected] .

CEPA is a research center based at the Neag School that seeks to inform educational leaders and policymakers on issues related to the development, implementation, and consequences of education policies.  Learn more about CEPA at  cepare.uconn.edu . Access the original PDF of this issue brief (including the complete Appendix).

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Five actions you can take against racism and discrimination

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) says that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and that we all have the right to a life free from discrimination and degrading treatment.  

Unfortunately, the history of the world has seen too many crimes of hate and discrimination. But this doesn’t have to be the reality we live with . From the civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960s, to the fall of apartheid in South Africa, many people have come together to fight racism and discrimination , and they have achieved remarkable things.  

But the work is far from finished and we all have a role to play . There are things we can do as individuals, but we can also call on our decision makers to put in place policies and programmes to bring lasting change to our communities. 

1. Listen and educate yourself 

Pay attention to the voices of people who experience racism every day – listen to friends, classmates, neighbours, and community leaders. 

There are also a lot of articles, books, documentaries, films and podcasts on issues of racism, discrimination and privilege.  Listen to what the people in them have to say. Understand and confront your own privilege. Be prepared to feel uncomfortable at times. Many of us absorb biases and prejudices at an early age, so they are not easy to unlearn.

2. Raise awareness 

Share the resources that you have found useful with your community to help them learn how they can play a role in ending racism and discrimination. If you have younger siblings or family members, set a good example for them. Try to look for games or books that can help them learn that we all have a right to dignity and safety - there are lots online.  

3. Challenge everyday discrimination and racism  

Racism and discrimination happen around us all the time. Often it is in the form of jokes, stereotypes or insensitive comments and questions from our friends, family members or colleagues. If you witness a friend or family member saying racist or discriminatory things, you should talk to them, if you feel safe to do so. Approach them privately first – in person or via direct message.

They are more likely to be receptive if they don’t feel publicly embarrassed. Point out to them that what they are saying is racist or discriminatory and remind them that everyone has the right to dignity and that in many countries it is against the law to discriminate against a person because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Encourage them to learn more about the historical context of racial prejudice and discrimination, and share resources that you have found helpful.   

If you see someone being bullied or harassed, intervene if it is safe to do so. 

4. Report racist or discriminatory content online 

Many social media platforms want their platforms to be safe and empowering for people of all backgrounds. If you see content that you think violates their guidelines, report it to the platform. 

If you see content in a newspaper or other traditional media that reflects prejudice, leave a comment or  send a letter to the editor to let others know that intolerant remarks are unkind and uncalled for. 

5. Is your school or university against racism and discrimination? 

Schools and universities should be safe places for children and young people of all races and ethnicities. Find out whether your school or university has a policy on non-discrimination and racism, safe ways to report incidents, support services, and programmes or initiatives to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion. If not, work with other students and school/university management to start a discussion and identify ways in which your place of learning can become a safer and more empowering environment for all students.  

If you have other suggestions, share them in the comments below or submit a blog or spark .

Extra actions for young storytellers 

share your story .

It is important that the stories and experiences of people who face racism and discrimination are told. At the same time, we understand this can be very difficult and painful.  If it feels safe and empowering, tell your story and share your experiences.  

? Amplify the voices of people who experience discrimination and racism 

Rather than speaking for people, use your platforms to amplify the voices of people who experience discrimination and racism directly. 

✍️ Telling someone else’s story 

If you are telling the story of someone who comes from a very different background to you based on their race or ethnicity avoid using words or phrases that are stereotypical or insensitive. Think about how you are portraying the person – are you presenting them as a full human being with a range of interests and experiences? Make sure you do your research beforehand and think about the images you use – do they treat someone with dignity and respect, or do they perpetuate stereotypes? Would you like to be portrayed in this way? 

This also applies to telling the stories of people who have different experiences form you based on their gender identity, religion, socioeconomic group, migration status or disability.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Five things you and your family can do now to help create a more just society

Learning about racism and discrimination

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10 Keys to Everyday Anti-Racism

We are sisters—and the great-great-granddaughters of Caroline and Allen, who were born enslaved in the state of Alabama. As African Americans and moms to Black sons, we are heartbroken and sick about the level of anti-Blackness that permeates every aspect of American life. We feel the urgency of the moment and want to help convert this moment into a movement for meaningful change. We believe our voices matter and that we have something to share with the world as a way to offer healing to this crisis. 

Between us, we have careers in law and education, and a background in African-American Studies, nonviolent communication, meditation, right speech, and conflict resolution. With those skills, we launched the AntiRacist Table on June 20, 2020. Metaphorically and physically speaking, at the table you learn, celebrate, grieve, fight, and live in community.

We offer a 30-Day Challenge that has been intentionally curated to help you be educated; face and get past shame, anger, and blame; and develop empathy—all key elements of creating an anti-racist America. Each day participants receive a daily lesson consisting of reading, videos, podcasts, journal/reflection prompts, and mindfulness practices. Each week participants work through a subset of our core principles, which we feel are essential aspects of bringing mindful anti-racist practice into daily life.

We provide the tools to help tackle emotionality—shame, guilt, and anger—and translate the seminal works of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Robin DiAngelo , among other academic experts, into 10 core principles: education, intention, courage, individuality, humanity, anti-racist work, equality, empathy, allies, and love. These are the focus of the AntiRacist Table’s 30-Day Challenge —an invitation to do the hard work to be anti-racist.

1. Education

Kendi, a leading scholar on anti-racism, argues that the heart of racism is denial. You cannot acknowledge or change that which you deny or choose not to see. Thus, the first step toward dismantling racism is breaking through that denial, by educating oneself about the history of African Americans and the Black experience.

Seeing systemic racism is foundational work. Historical context provides an understanding of the original dehumanization of African Americans that is the foundation upon which American racism is built. It reveals the laws and policies implemented to support white supremacy, and the cultural rules and norms that created anti-Blackness.

Learning about the unconscious and automatic ways racism presents itself will help one recognize it and take steps to stop it. Challenge participants credit “learning lesser-known facts” as helping them not only see and understand, but launch them into action to fight against racism and anti-Blackness.

2. Intention

Anti-racism is a way of life. Like starting any new habit, anti-racism requires a conscious decision to pursue it as a goal and way of being. Intention brings mindful presence and awareness to what we say and what we do.

Setting the intention to have an open heart and open mind in order to be anti-racist affects how one shows up. Present-moment awareness links with our intention to pull us out of autopilot and into conscious pursuit of our goals.

Anti-Racist Resources

A collection of Greater Good pieces that explore our potential to reduce prejudice in society and in ourselves.

This opens the door to growth. As psychologist Rick Hanson explains , whatever you hold in attention has a special power to change your brain. Attention is like a combination spotlight and vacuum cleaner: It illuminates what it rests upon and then sucks it into your brain—and your self. Setting the intention to pursue anti-racism will help adjust one’s life lens, and it will deactivate the trance of autopilot. This will help you tap into your internal motivation to be anti-racist.

And according to studies , being motivated internally is what will most help you to make lasting change. Affirming why you want to be anti-racist as part of your intention will remind you of your goal and help you stick to it. This is why we offer the 30-Day Challenge: It provides participants with a clarity of purpose and helps them commit to action.

Facing facts about racism, white privilege, and white supremacy is hard.

Robin DiAngelo, a sociologist and author, coined the term “white fragility” to describe “the defensive reactions so many white people have when our racial worldviews, positions, or advantages are questioned or challenged.” She continues:

For a lot of white people, just suggesting that being white has meaning will trigger a deep, defensive response. And that defensiveness serves to maintain both our comfort and our positions in a racially inequitable society from which we benefit.

Reckoning with shame, blame, guilt, and anger takes courage and vulnerability. As researcher Brené Brown says, vulnerability is when we feel uncertainty, risk, or emotional exposure. Vulnerability takes courage; it takes learning how to be brave and afraid at the exact same time. Courage allows us to be an everyday hero and to inspire collective heroism .

To be anti-racist, you have to sit with the discomfort and put courage, compassion, and vulnerability over comfort. Cultivating an anti-racist mindfulness practice is essential to doing and sustaining this work. Challenge participants say The AntiRacist Table Mindfulness Practices incorporated in the Challenge provided a space for them to face hard emotions and to find compassion.

4. Individuality

Seeing another person’s individuality means noticing the details and qualities, both positive and negative, that set them apart from the group. But mental shortcuts that psychologists call heuristics “can lead us to make potentially damaging assumptions about other people,” as Zaid Jilani writes in Greater Good . “Racial stereotyping, for instance, comes from the belief that membership in a racial group defines someone on a range of characteristics, including their behavior.”

To be anti-racist, it’s critical to understand and recognize that Black people have historically been assigned a negative group identity, being labeled lazy, irresponsible, dangerous, and angry. Realizing that these stereotypes can prevent us from seeing Black people as individuals is an important awareness because, according to research , when we view people who are “not like us” in terms of their own individual tastes and preferences, we feel less threatened by them.

5. Humanity

Supporting humanity means rehumanizing African Americans.

As philosopher Michelle Maiese argues , the process of dehumanization demonizes “the enemy, making them seem less than human and hence not worthy of humane treatment.” The result is a framing of “good versus evil.”

According to Maiese, “dehumanization might be mitigated or reversed through humanization efforts, the development of empathy, the establishment of personal relationships between conflicting parties, and the pursuit of common goals.”

Just as denial is the heart of racism, so seeing humanity in others is at the heart of anti-racism. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny,” wrote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

6. Anti-racist work

In this context, “anti-racist” is a verb, defined by the action one is taking. An anti-racist is “one who is supporting an anti-racist policy through their actions or expressing an anti-racist idea,” writes Ibram X. Kendi. 

To be anti-racist, one must actively work to create anti-racist policies. One must engage the world seeing all racial groups as equals and intentionally promote equity. Anti-racists support policies that reduce racial inequity, such as:

• Reparations to address the wealth gap between Black families and white created by slavery, Jim Crow segregation, anti-Black practices such as redlining, and other discriminatory public policies in criminal justice and education that have withheld opportunities to build wealth from Black people that have been afforded to whites.
• Educating Americans about systemic racism and racist policies and the need to dismantle them.
• Holding police with records of excessive force accountable.

7. Equality

“Racial inequity is when two or more racial groups are not standing on approximately equal footing,” writes Kendi. One must hold all groups of people—a color, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, age, and any combination of those—as equal. To champion equality is to fight for equity. It is to understand that corrective action is needed to create equity.

Cultivating empathy is key to rehumanizing the dehumanized. “Empathy is . . . an umbrella term that describes multiple ways people respond to one another, including sharing, thinking about, and caring about others’ feelings,” writes Jamil Zaki , director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory and author of The War for Kindness . The best way to foster empathy, suggests Zaki, is to share experiences, because that’s the “closest we come to dissolving the boundary between self and other.” It’s this empathic concern that motivates us to “improve someone else’s well-being.”

We know from studies that empathy creates connection and it breaks down the “us and them” divide so that we see outsiders as human beings.

But empathy has another benefit to anti-racists: It helps to build the ability to bounce back from shame, a critical tool in this work. Empathy increases shame resilience because it moves us toward connection, compassion, and courage—the opposite of the fear, blame, and disconnection that result from shame. Staying stuck in shame means one is not working to be anti-racist.

9. Allyship

To be an ally is to take on this struggle as if it is your own. It means that you do what is uncomfortable. You are committed to taking a risk, sharing any privilege you have to center marginalized Black and brown people. When you see something, you say something. You imagine and act as if you do not have a choice. You fight to dismantle injustice.

“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble,” wrote Congressman John Lewis just before his death. Allies get into good trouble. As one Challenge participant said, “Coming to terms with and exploring the deeply rooted systems of white supremacy within my own self and the way in which I have worked in the world are critical for me to become a true ally.”

Choosing love and healing over fear and oppression is a path of courageous vulnerability. Gratitude, joy, and an open heart are all components of love that enable one to do the work to be anti-racist and to bring anti-racism into daily life. Accepting love empowers us to do the hard work. As meditation and communication teacher Oren Jay Sofer says:

The more deeply we feel our own life, the more we experience our interconnectedness with others. This kind of love is a force for change. It bestows the courage to face the suffering in the world and the energy to act for its healing.

Barbara Fredrickson , director of Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, puts it another way: “Love draws you out of your cocoon of self-absorption to attune to others. Love allows you to really see another person, holistically, with care, concern, and compassion.”

America is at a critical moment. This is the call of our time. We must do more than put out a sign or read a book—we must come to understand our shared history and work to support our collective humanity by eradicating anti-Blackness in the many forms that it exists. You can begin right now by starting to educate yourself—and the AntiRacist Table 30-Day Challenge is one place to start.

About the Authors

Kirsten Ivey-Colson

The antiracist table.

Kirsten Ivey-Colson, JD, has an LLM in Alternative Dispute Resolution and her undergraduate degree is in African American Studies and English. She is an active meditation practitioner and a student of nonviolent communication, conflict resolution, conflict coaching, neuroscience, happiness, and well-being. She has served as a union steward, conflict coach, mediator, and leader in her son’s school’s parent of Black students affinity group. In response to the racial reckoning in June 2020, Kirsten co-founded the AntiRacist Table , with her sister, Lynn Turner. The AntiRacist Table is a multidimensional platform dedicated to bringing antiracism to daily life through education about African Americans, the Black experience, rehumanizing Black people, and motivating action.

Lynn Turner

Lynn Turner (she/her) is a native Washingtonian, wife, and mother of two children and the proud descendant of enslaved people. She is a Lead Kindergarten Teacher and an active anti-racism committee member in the school community where she teaches in Bethesda, MD. Lynn is passionate about teaching young children and supporting families, work that she has done for over ten years.  Her BA in Fine Arts is from Sweet Briar College, her MAT in Early Childhood Education is from Trinity University and she has an Early Childhood Teaching Certificate from the Sunbridge Institute. In response to the racial reckoning in June 2020, Lynn co-founded the AntiRacist Table , with her sister, Kirsten Ivey-Colson. The AntiRacist Table is a multidimensional platform dedicated to bringing antiracism to daily life through education about African Americans, the Black experience, rehumanizing Black people, and motivating action.

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Eliminating Racial Discrimination: The Challenges of Prevention and Enforcement of Prohibition

About the author, alex otieno.

"States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, colour or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law", according to the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, notably in the enjoyment of political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights. State Parties shall also assure effective protection and remedies against any acts of racial discrimination. Both the preamble of the Charter of the United Nations and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaim the right of everyone to enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms, without distinction to race, colour or national origin. The UN system and its specialized agencies, through various conventions and declarations, prohibited discrimination and disseminated information specifically addressing the issue and proposing solutions to the problem. However, despite these efforts, many individuals and groups belonging to the minority continue to experience various forms of discrimination, especially in countries with a dominant majority or a history of colonialism and occupation. As we prepare to celebrate the anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the General Assembly's adoption of the International Convention, prevention and enforcement of United Nations guidelines pertaining to racial discrimination are still a major challenge. As such, human rights for all are still violated in polities where racial discrimination persists. Manifestation of racial discrimination varies in different contexts. For example, in countries like the United States, which have enacted prevention laws, changes in social norms have led some commentators to use phrases like "colour-blind racism"1 and "laissez-faire racism"2 to capture the challenges of preventing racial discrimination and enforcing laws. Racial discrimination is manifested also in practices generally thought to be relics of the past, such as race-based slavery, as in the case of the continuing enslavement of dark skinned people in contemporary Mauritania,3 as well as crimes against humanity or, as argued by some, the genocide committed in the Darfur region of the Sudan. UN agencies, such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), have played a key role in organizing and mobilizing education and information relevant to the protection of all human rights. The OHCHR role in the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, is an example, where the discourses arising from the event and the participation of thousands of non-governmental organizations, youth groups and networks had an impact on millions of people. The contribution of UNESCO in formulating declarations and conventions -- such as the Declaration on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution to the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War, adopted on 22 November 1978 -- reveals the United Nations role in fostering discourses of respect and dignity for all. Specifically, Article 12 of the Declaration on the Prevention of Genocide, adopted on 11 March 2005 by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), "urges the international community to look at the need for a comprehensive understanding of the dimensions of genocide, including in the context of situations where economic globalization adversely affects disadvantaged communities, in particular indigenous peoples". This clearly indicates the recognition of the complex factors in facilitating discriminatory practices leading to genocide. It is worth noting that, whereas genocide is not always directly linked to racial discrimination, they are often interlinked, as demonstrated by the 2005 Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the Secretary-General.4 The Commission observed that genocide is often facilitated and supported by discriminatory laws and practices, or lack of effective enforcement of the principle of equality of persons, irrespective of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Given that the Convention calls on States to prohibit racial discrimination and enact laws to protect citizens, it is clear that genocidal activities can be linked to the Government's violations of human rights. The Government of Sudan can, therefore, be held accountable for the estimated 1.65 million internally displaced persons in Darfur and the more than 200,000 refugees from Darfur in neighbouring Chad, especially since it was reported by the Commission of Inquiry that "the Government of the Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law amounting to crimes under international law". It also reported: "Government forces and militias conducted indiscriminate attacks, including killing of civilians, torture, enforced disappearances, destruction of villages, rape and other forms of sexual violence, pillaging and forced displacement, throughout Darfur. These acts were conducted on a widespread and systematic basis, and therefore may amount to crimes against humanity. The extensive destruction and displacement have resulted in a loss of livelihood and means of survival for countless women, men and children. In addition to the large scale attacks, many people have been arrested and detained, and many have been held incommunicado for prolonged periods and tortured. The vast majority of the victims of all of these violations have been from the Fur, Zaghawa, Massalit, Jebel, Aranga and other so-called 'African' tribes." This indicates the United Nations role in establishing the nature and extent of the problem in Darfur and its ability to demonstrate that this was borne out of racial discrimination, showing that it is an ongoing problem that needs the attention of the global community and civil society groups. Exploring the importance of preventing and enforcing the prohibition of racial discrimination, as mandated by various UN instruments, can reveal the challenges of addressing persistent racial discrimination four decades after the Convention was adopted. Using the work of two authors, I shall illustrate here the social construction of race as means of generating discussions on racial discrimination and exposing racism as facile thinking. Consider "essentialist" formulation of race that views it as "a matter of innate characteristics, of which skin colour and other physical attributes provide only the most obvious and, in some respects, most superficial, indicators"5 and is, at least in part, the basis for enslavement in Mauritania today. The other extreme view is trivializing the category of race, arguing that since it is a social construction, race will disappear if we simply ignore it -- this ignores the ways in which race has deeply structured Western civilization for the last 500 years.It is important to consider the social construction of race in light of B. K. Obach's work detailing student responses to a course on racism.6 He observed that in the context of the United States, "students often think of race as a given biological fact based on established scientific distinctions, ideas that are strongly reified throughout society by the media, through government policy and by individuals who often embrace a racial identity". Challenging students to "think outside the box" by considering the origin of race as social is no doubt a mammoth task, but one that can be accomplished with tenacity and good pedagogy. A strategy offered by Obach is to acknowledge that the "socially constructed nature of racial categories can, in part, be demonstrated by reviewing historical developments in which the commonly used racial categories were established, in addition to showing the way in which those categories and their meanings have changed over time". He substantiated his work with Omi & Winnant,5 as well as Haney Lopez,7 to illustrate this. He noted the definition of Asian Indians as a case in point, observing that they "were determined by the courts to be non-white in 1909, white in 1910 and 1913, non-white in 1917, white again in 1919 and 1920, but non-white after 1923". Such conceptions can go a long way in exposing the fact that social relations, rather than some innate qualities, produce the hierarchical ideas regarding race. It can be argued that UN efforts at improving response strategies for tackling racial discrimination markedly improved following the paradigm shift towards a more inclusive and proactive one, "taking into account that systematic discrimination, disregard or exclusion are often among the root causes of conflict". In the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, CERD noted the importance of decision-making in strengthening the capacity of the Committee "to detect and prevent at the earliest possible stage developments in racial discrimination that may lead to violent conflict and genocide". Thus, the Convention seeks to frame prevention as a critical component of efforts to address racial discrimination and genocide. Although national actions for tackling racial discrimination and exclusion may exist, there is often an inadequate capacity to prevent cases of discrimination within the jurisdiction of the States with the worst track records. However, education and human rights as the main strategies by civil society organizations, which mobilize action and raise concerns regarding discrimination, can have an impact on both prevention and enforcement. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the "best practices" of institutional processes and models of race that are transformative and do not further marginalize racial minorities. This is best done by treating their experiences in ways that do not consider the role they must play in reporting instances of violation of their dignity. The international community must now take heed of the complexity of the politics of race and how it fuels human rights abuses, including genocidal acts and crimes against humanity, such as those witnessed in Darfur and the slavery in Mauritania. What is clear is that, although there is ample evidence of the consequences of racial discrimination in opportunity structures, including political and cultural products, health outcomes, well-being and dignity, concrete actions to address "hidden abuses" remain inadequate. It will take effective leadership within the various UN specialized agencies to prevent racial discrimination and bring to account groups and individuals responsible for human rights violations. Previous criticisms of the handling of situations that resulted in colossal rights abuses,8 such as those in Rwanda in 1994, should serve to motivate key individuals to recognize the need for prompt action. As The New York Times in March 2007 has noted regarding Darfur, "international leaders need to demonstrate that they can act as well as talk", in order to save lives and bolster confidence in the international system. Notes 1 E. Bonilla-Silva & T.A. Forman, "I am not a racist but...": Mapping white college students' racial ideology in the USA. Discourse & Society 11 (2002): 50-85. K. Bales, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy (Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2000). 2 L. Bobo, J. Kluegel & R. Smith. "Laissez-faire Racism: The Crystallization of a Kinder, Gentler, Antiblack Ideology", Racial Attitudes in the 1990s, ed. S. Tuch and J.K. Martin . (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1997) 15-42. 3 K. Bales & J. Reitz, Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance Relating To Contemporary Forms of Slavery. (Background paper prepared by Free the Slaves, Washington D.C., 2003). 4 Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. http://www.un.org/News/dh/sudan/com_inq_darfur.pdf 5 M. Omi & H. Winant, Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1980s (New York: Routledge, 1994). 6 B.K. Obach, "Demonstrating the social construction of race", Teaching Sociology, 27.3 (1999): 252-57. 7 I.F. Haney Lopez, White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race (New York: New York University Press, 1996). 8 S. Power, "Bystanders to genocide", The Atlantic Monthly, September 2001.

The UN Chronicle  is not an official record. It is privileged to host senior United Nations officials as well as distinguished contributors from outside the United Nations system whose views are not necessarily those of the United Nations. Similarly, the boundaries and names shown, and the designations used, in maps or articles do not necessarily imply endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

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Learning to live together: How education can help fight systemic racism

Subscribe to the center for universal education bulletin, rebecca winthrop rebecca winthrop director - center for universal education , senior fellow - global economy and development.

June 5, 2020

The protests raging across the United States in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death all call for an end to systemic racism and inequality, which have been alive and well since the very founding of the United States. There is much that needs to be done to address systemic racism from police reform to opening ladders of economic opportunity. Education too has a role to play.

The strategy of “divide and conquer” has been used for literally thousands of years to expand empires and extend control of authoritarian leaders. The military strategy of Nazi Germany was, as former Secretary of Defense James Mattis recently so eloquently reminded us, to divide and conquer, and the American response was “in unity there is strength.” This applies not only to military strategy and morale but also to the fabric of society and our ability as Americans to bridge our differences and connect with each other. It is why after World War II, a U.N. organization dedicated to education was founded, stating “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”

This remains true to this day and it is why education in its broadest sense must be a part of the solution to build unity across our country. Education does play a crucial role in social mobility and ensuring economic opportunity and it is why so many school districts across the U.S. are concerned with helping all young people develop academic mastery and 21st century job skills such as digital literacy, creativity, and teamwork. This is why there are such deep concerns about equity of access to quality schools and the disturbing legacy of tracking African American students into less prestigious avenues of study.

But education also plays a powerful role in shaping worldviews, connecting members of a community who might have never met before, and imagining the world we want. It is this power to shape values and beliefs that has made education susceptible to manipulation by those who want to divide and conquer (e.g., why extremists such as the Taliban in Afghanistan prioritized interfering in education as a top priority for achieving their agenda). Hence it is this power that we must turn to in an effort to fight inequality and racism. In 1996, a UNESCO global commission chaired by Jacques De Lors released a report—now affectionately known in education circles as the “ De Lors Report” —and spelled out the four purposes of education:

• Learning to know . A broad general knowledge with the opportunity to work in depth on a small number of subjects.
• Learning to do . To acquire not only occupational skills but also the competence to deal with many situations and to work in teams.
• Learning to be . To develop one’s personality and to be able to act with growing autonomy, judgment, and personal responsibility.
• Learning to live together . By developing an understanding of other people and an appreciation of interdependence.

These four purposes all remain urgent and relevant today but it is the fourth, learning to live together, that we must as a country pay more attention to. Luckily there are many in the education community that have for years been working on helping young people develop the mindsets and skills to live together. A number of organizations have long included fighting systemic racism in this effort, working tirelessly and more often than not with little visibility and recognition. Some of the best places to begin exploring this work include the nonprofit education organization Facing History, Facing Ourselves , which has been working for the past 45 years with teachers and schools across the United States to combat bigotry and hate and help build understanding across difference. Education International, a federation of the world’s teacher organizations and unions, has put forward the top 25 lessons from the teaching profession for delivering education that supports democracy for all and hence must foster inclusion and fight racism. More well-known to most Americans is Sesame Street, the children’s media organization that has for generations modeled tolerance to America’s youngest children.

On Saturday, June 6, Sesame Street and CNN will host a town-hall meeting titled “ Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism .” Finally, the new Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture has a host of resources for parents and families, schools and educators, and young people and adults for talking about race .  

As Brookings President John R. Allen so eloquently stated in his recent piece on the need to condemn racism and come together, the leadership for this is not going to come from national political leaders, but every teacher, principal, school superintendent, and parent of students can do their part to make sure education is playing its part and contributing to all of us learning to live together.

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Working together against racism

Vol. 51, No. 3 Print version: page 20

• Racism, Bias, and Discrimination
• Race and Ethnicity

When psychologist Milo Dodson, PhD, traveled to Wisconsin to direct hip-hop artist Common’s Dreamers & Believers Summer Camp for youth in 2013, he was still scrambling to finish his dissertation. But after a few late nights of writing, Dodson realized his doctoral work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—on race-related stress, the N-word and racial identity development—was highly relevant to his campers, black youth from Chicago. So he began weaving it into their nightly fireside chats.

Dodson led conversations among 30 or so boys about what it means to be black and how race-related barriers and values shape their experience—for instance, their interactions with law enforcement officers.

“It quickly became clear how critical it is to use research and how applicable research is when brought straight into the community,” he says.

Historically, psychological research has been used both to fight and to perpetuate racism. In 1954, a “friend of the court” brief highlighting the damaging effects of segregation, including the seminal doll study by psychologists Kenneth B. Clark, PhD, and Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD, was a key piece of evidence in the Brown v. Board of Education case that ultimately led to the desegregation of public schools. Yet psychological research has also been exploited to promote racist ideologies, for instance, through efforts to tie race to intelligence (Neisser, U., et al., American Psychologist , Vol. 51, No. 2, 1996).

“When it comes to racism, psychologists have moved the needle both in very positive ways and unfortunately also in some harmful ways,” says Shawn Jones, PhD, an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies racism­-related stress. “We as a field now have a responsibility to be on the right side more often than not.”

Today, psychologists are conducting research on the causes and effects of racism, including disparities in mental health care and the effects of racial microaggressions; designing interventions to mitigate those effects; adapting clinical practice and pedagogy to reflect the diversity of patient and student populations; and working to shift national policies to address racism and racial disparities. They are also working to “decolonize” psychology by incorporating more inclusive practices into the discipline, such as indigenous approaches to healing and wellness.

“Racism can be a nefarious stressor that impacts us individually, interpersonally, institutionally and structurally,” Jones says, “which is why addressing it requires psychologists to work at a variety of levels.”

The work involves partnering with experts from other disciplines, including public health professionals, sociologists and psychiatrists, all of whom bring specialized knowledge to the table.

“This isn’t something that any one person can solve,” says Dodson, now a senior staff psychologist at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) counseling center. “Fighting racism is going to be an ongoing struggle and battle. As we continue to resist hate, we also need to find ways to support each other and to be increasingly collaborative.”

Defining and documenting racism

In recent years, psychologists have helped redefine the way we understand racism as a society. Much of the public used to think that only discriminatory laws or overt acts of interpersonal discrimination, such as the use of racial slurs, counted as racism. But today, many people recognize that systemic disadvantage and more subtle microaggressions are also a key part of the racial-minority experience in America and cause great harm. Psychologists have helped to document those consequences. For example, a meta-analysis on microaggressions—subtle yet hostile racial slights—found they were linked to negative outcomes such as stress and anxiety (Lui, P.P., & Quezada, L., Psychological Bulletin , Vol. 145, No. 1, 2019).

Systemic disadvantages, meanwhile, manifest themselves in many ways, including disparities in employment, housing, health care—and mental health care.

Psychologists and other researchers at The Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity analyze both explicit bias and implicit bias—unconscious stereotypes that can contribute to systemic discrimination—and release yearly reports that provide a global view of disparities across criminal justice, education, health and housing. Researchers there have demonstrated that African American children are more likely to be disciplined than white children for the same action, that mortgage applications from whites are more likely to be accepted than those from African Americans with the same credit scores, and that Asian Americans may receive differential treatment from mental health-care providers because of the assumption that they are a high-achieving group ( State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review , 5th ed., Kirwan Institute, 2017).

New large-scale studies that disaggregate results by race and ethnicity are also revealing low mental health service utilization among African Americans, Latinx, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders ( National Survey on Drug Use and Health , Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2018).

And the ongoing lack of racially inclusive research—as evidenced by, for instance, the dearth of studies with Latinx participants in clinical and forensic psychology and the lower enrollments of racial and ethnic-minority participants in many clinical trials and other health research—means that persistent disparities in outcomes continue to be ignored.

Pernicious effects, effective interventions

As the data stack up on these racial inequities that continue to define American society, some psychologists are studying how this climate affects minority youth and what might be done to cope with and mitigate that reality.

Jones studies racism-related stress, including how vicarious experiences of racism—such as discrimination against a loved one or a nationally publicized police shooting—can have a deleterious effect on the psychological well-being of black youth. For instance, he and his colleagues staged a vicarious discrimination experience in his lab in which black research participants witnessed an experimenter favoring white individuals, and then documented participants’ increased distress, especially among those who believed that whites hold negative views of blacks (Hoggard, L.S., et al., Journal of Black Psychology , Vol. 43, No. 4, 2017).

Jones is also exploring strategies parents and caregivers can use to help black youth learn to navigate their racialized world—by developing a positive racial identity, but also by recognizing the inevitable barriers and biases they will face because of their race. His work builds on foundational research by psychiatrists James Comer, MD, and Alvin Poussaint, MD, by integrating family systems and therapeutic perspectives.

“How do these conversations unfold, what do the dynamics between parents and children look like and how might they be improved?” Jones asks. To answer these questions, he’s conducting a series of mixed-methods studies of how parents discuss race with children and how those conversations differ based on age and gender ( Journal of Child and Family Studies , Vol. 28, No. 1, 2019).

The body of research that Jones helped build has informed a family-based intervention known as EMBRace, or Engaging, Managing, and Bonding through Race, which was developed by psychologist Riana Anderson, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. In five sessions, EMBRace provides guidance and structure for black parents and children to explore racial socialization, including by cultivating cultural pride and learning stress management skills (Anderson, R.E., et al., Family Process , Vol. 58, No. 1, 2019).

“Shawn and I are collaborating in the research world, but we’re also seeing that these findings aren’t always trickling down to the folks who need it,” Anderson says. “So, we’re also thinking creatively about how to reach people.”

In that same vein, Anderson and Jones launched a YouTube series, Our Mental Health Minute , to share psychological insights about racial socialization, stereotypes, substance use and other topics with a broader audience.

Other psychologists are also connecting with racial-minority communities in innovative ways. Dodson led discussions about anxiety, depression, emotional vulnerability and race-related stress at Common’s youth camp for five consecutive summers. Now, he speaks regularly at athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp , where he engages kids and teens of color in discussions about mental health.

“It’s really insidious how white supremacy has caused kids of color to internalize thoughts like, ‘I don’t deserve to take care of myself,’” Dodson says. “Part of my work is teaching them that we all have the right to be healthy, and that also means taking care of our mental health.”

Dodson also delivers traditional clinical services at UCI, including a weekly group counseling session aimed at destigmatizing mental health care among black men, and serves as the mental health liaison to the school’s athletics department and esports program.

His racially conscious approach points to a gap that persists in clinical settings: a dearth of services that are culturally relevant for racial- and ethnic-minority patients, despite evidence that culturally adapted psychological interventions are more effective than unadapted versions of the same interventions (Hall, G.C.N., et al., Behavior Therapy , Vol. 47, No. 6, 2016). A recent review of culturally appropriate mental and physical health-care services found a shortage of interventions and significant gaps in the literature evaluating them (Butler, M., et al., Improving Cultural Competence to Reduce Health Disparities, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality , 2016).

“The general consensus is that there is a continuing lack of culturally relevant services,” says Stanley Sue, PhD, former director of the Center for Excellence in Diversity at Palo Alto University and co-founder of the Asian American Psychological Association. But the situation is improving, he says, citing an increased focus on disparities research and the APA Guidelines on Race and Ethnicity in Psychology , released in 2019.

Psychologist Iva GreyWolf, PhD, has found a creative way to address the shortage of services tailored for racial- and ethnic-minority groups. As an indigenous behavioral health consultant, GreyWolf helps bridge the gap between American Indian and Alaska Native people receiving treatment for trauma and the clinical psychologists hired to provide it, who are typically unfamiliar with indigenous cultures. She travels with providers to Native villages, mentors providers serving these communities and leads training efforts on the history of the indigenous peoples and cultural practices. For example, nonverbal communication and the participation of family members are seen as key parts of the therapeutic experience in many indigenous cultures.

“Unfortunately, it’s common for outside psychologists completely new to the culture to secure short-lived contract positions serving indigenous communities,” GreyWolf says, adding that these temporary appointments can be dangerous and disorienting for patients. “It’s essential to understand the different values and ways of communicating in order to provide true support.”

Activism and advocacy

Other psychologists are helping to address racism through their work as administrators and activists. At Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, one of the country’s first historically black colleges and universities, psychologist and university president Brenda Allen, PhD, relies on her research background in race and educational outcomes to inform her racial equity work. She created the school’s Office of Institutional Equity, which crafts policies and programs to promote racial equity. For example, the campus police force, which is primarily white, completed its first training course on implicit bias during the summer of 2019.

At the University of California, Berkeley, clinical psychologist Élida Bautista, PhD, directs inclusion and diversity efforts for the Haas School of Business. Her role involves training students, faculty, staff and senior leadership on the value of diversity and best practices for inclusion, revising admission and hiring policies to improve racial equity, and consulting on diversity issues when they arise.

“The demographics here have looked the same for a long time, but they’re not reflective of the state we live in,” Bautista says. “I’ve started creating opportunities to question the status quo.”

Across academia, psychologists have also created crucial opportunities to bolster research efforts by and about racial-minority groups. To improve opportunities for Latina doctoral-­level researchers, Silvia Mazzula, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, founded the multi­disciplinary Latina Researchers Network (LRN) in 2012. With nearly 3,000 members across psychology, public health, political science and other disciplines, the LRN provides mentorship and collaboration opportunities for a demographic underrepresented in academia.

“Often psychologists of color enter spaces and they’re the only one in their department or institution,” Mazzula says. “That’s a very difficult place to be, which is why networks like this are so important to provide additional support and mentorship.”

While collaboration among academics is essential, some psychologists have turned their gaze outward to focus on addressing racial issues in the public sphere. Dodson co-hosts a podcast, Mental Health Is R.E.A.L. (Reflecting Empathy and Love) , with Los Angeles radio personality Yesi Ortiz. The program, which reaches tens of thousands of listeners, most of whom are black or Latinx, seeks to normalize mental health, for instance, by featuring celebrities like Common and artist-activist Gina Belafonte discussing their experiences in therapy.

“My primary goal is to put research directly in the hands and hearts of people of color,” Dodson says. “Podcasts, radio and TV are avenues that allow me to connect directly with the people.”

Meanwhile, applying the insights about racism gained from ongoing research and practice, some psychologists are also working to shift policies at the highest levels of government to improve racial equity in the United States.

At SAMHSA, for example, licensed clinical-community psychologist Larke Huang, PhD, helped launch in 2012 and now directs the Office of Behavioral Health Equity, where she works at the interface of research, practice and policy.

She has focused on reducing racial disparities in substance use and mental health care by requiring SAMHSA grantees to demonstrate—rather than merely claim—that they are serving racial-minority groups. A new policy Huang helped institute requires grant recipients to submit a disparity impact statement showing their efforts to serve vulnerable populations, including racial minorities. For example, an analysis found that a jail diversion program was disproportionately diverting white people from jail because of mental health problems and not equitably diverting people of color with similar problems. In such cases, the policy requires grantees to show how they will reduce disparities using practices supported in the psychological, organizational management and quality improvement literatures. For instance, the jail diversion program might serve more people of color by minimizing the role of implicit bias in decisions about who should be diverted to a mental health facility.

Huang also helped launch the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED), a network of nearly 2,000 community organizations that primarily serve Latinx, African American, Asian American and Native American populations. NNED supports such groups by providing training and technical assistance to both fledgling and established organizations working to develop and test behavioral health interventions for minority populations. Huang says many of these organizations develop innovative and promising programs but would benefit from partnerships with research psychologists trained to conduct formal evaluations, who could help them build stronger evidence bases to support their expansion.

“We also need to talk more about how we pay for these initiatives,” Huang says. “Oftentimes, health disparities and inequities are left out of the financing formula.”

Psychologists are working in the legislative branch as well. Judy Chu, PhD, a psychologist and U.S. representative for California’s 27th Congressional District, has fought several of the Trump administration’s racially problematic policies, including the effort to bar citizens of several Muslim-­majority countries from entering the United States. Her National Origin–Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, which would reverse the travel and asylum ban and eliminate the extreme vetting requirements authorized by a recent executive order on refugees, now has more than 200 co-sponsors in the House. Chu also helped apply pressure to shut down a temporary shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas, and has passed bills that set humanitarian standards for such facilities.

“It’s so important to have psychologists in Congress, because the policies of this administration have so much impact on people’s mental health and on their experiences of trauma,” Chu says. “We have a responsibility to stop the permanent harm these policies can cause.”

Chu is also spearheading the Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act —which would provide student loan forgiveness to mental health professionals who deliver services in low-income schools—as a way to improve care for racial- and ethnic-minority communities.

Ultimately, some psychologists say that speaking up about racial inequities is a professional obligation that’s essential for moving the field forward.

“It’s incumbent upon psychologists to have conversations with one another and the public about race, and not just rely on activists to do that work for us,” Dodson says. “We ourselves need to be activists.”

Interdependent roles

Psychologists apply their expertise on racism from all areas of the discipline, including:

• Basic science Psychologists conduct research on the causes and effects of racism, including disparities in mental health care.
• Clinical research Clinician-scientists design interventions to mitigate the effects of racism.
• Clinical psychology Clinicians treat patients in culturally competent practices to address the consequences of racism.
• Advocacy and policy Policy influencers advocate for local and national policies that will address racism and racial disparities.

Further reading

APA Guidelines on Race and Ethnicity in Psychology 2019

The Racial Healing Handbook Singh, A.A., New Harbinger Publications, 2019

Toward a Racially Just Workplace Roberts, L.M., & Mayo, A.J., Harvard Business Review , 2019

About this series 

In this Monitor series, we explore how psychologists address some of society’s greatest challenges through the work they do in their distinct—yet interdependent—roles as researchers, practitioners, applied experts, educators, advocates and more. 

Up next: Autism

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398 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples

• 🔖 Secrets of Powerful Racism Essay

🏆 Best Racism Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

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Looking for powerful racism essay topics? You will find them here! This list contains a great variety of titles for racism-themed papers. We’ve also included useful tips and plenty of racism essay examples to help you write an outstanding paper.

🔖 Secrets of a Powerful Racism Essay

Writing an essay on racism may seem easy at first. However, because racism is such a popular subject in social sciences, politics, and history, your piece needs to be truly powerful to receive a high mark. Here are the best tips to help make your racism essay stand out:

• Consider the historical causes of racism. Papers on racism often focus on discrimination and equality in modern society. Digging a bit deeper and highlighting the origins of racism will make your essay more impressive. Check academic resources on the subject to see how racism was connected to the slave trade, politics, and social development in Europe. Explore these ideas in your paper to make it more compelling!
• Show critical thinking. Racism essay titles often focus on the effects of racism on the population. To make your essay more powerful, you will need to discuss the things that are often left out. Think about why racial discrimination is still prevalent in modern society and who benefits from racist policies. This will show your tutor that you understand the topic in great depth.
• Look for examples of racism in art. One of the reasons as to why racism spread so quickly is because artists and authors supported the narratives of race. If you explore paintings by European artists created in 17-18 centuries, you will find that they often highlighted the differences between black and white people to make the former seem less human. In various literary works, such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Shakespeare’s Othello, racism plays a vital role. In contrast, more recent works of art consider racism from a critical viewpoint. Examining how racism is reflected in the art will help you to earn an excellent mark for your analysis of the subject.
• Discuss the influences of racism. Of course, one of the key racism essay topics is the impact of racism on black populations in various countries. It is true that discrimination plays an essential role in the lives of black people, and reflecting this in your paper will help you to make it influential. You can discuss various themes here, from police brutality to healthcare access. Support your claims with high-quality data from official sources. If appropriate, you can also show how racism affected your life or the lives of your friends and loved ones.
• Show the correlation between racism and other social issues. Racism is connected to many different types of discrimination, including sexism and homophobia. This allows you to expand your paper by showing these links and explaining them. For instance, you could write an essay on racism and xenophobia, or find other topics that interest you.

Finally, structure your essay well. Write an outline first to determine the sequence of key points. You can check out a racism essay example on this website to see how other people structure their work.

Racism Thesis Statement, Main Body, & Conclusion

A typical essay should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. Each paragraph of the main body should start with a topic sentence. Here’s what a topic sentence for racism-themed essay can look like:

Racism continues to be a pervasive issue in society, with deep-rooted prejudices and discrimination that impact individuals and communities across the globe.

Don’t forget to include a racism essay thesis statement at the end of your introduction to identify the focus of the paper! Check out these racism thesis statements for inspiration:

Racism is pervasive social problem that manifests in various forms, perpetuating systemic inequalities and marginalizing minority groups. Through an examination of racism’s history and its psychological impact on individuals, it becomes evident that this pressing issue demands collective action for meaningful change.

In your essay’s conclusion, you can simply paraphrase the thesis and add a couple of additional remarks.

These guidelines will help you to ensure that your work is truly outstanding and deserving of a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for more racism example essays, topics, and other useful materials.

These points will help you to ensure that your work on racism is truly influential and receives a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for example papers, essay titles, and other useful materials.

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• Abortion-Related Racial Discrimination in the US In spite of being a numerical minority, Black women in the U.S.resort to abortion services rather often compared to the White population.
• Social Problems Surrounding Racism, Prejudice and Discrimination This kind of discrimination makes the students lose their self-esteem and the traumas experienced affects the mental health of these students in the long term.
• The Unethical Practice of Racism in a Doctor’s Case The involvement of Barrett in the protest is both unethical for the university’s image and immoral for the community. However, the school would likely face tougher court fines and a direct order to reinstate Barrett’s […]
• The Problem of Racism in America One explanation of racism by feminist thinkers is that racism is a manifestation of the agency and power of people of a particular racial identity over others.
• Racism: “The Sum of Us” Article by McGhee The economic analysis and sociological findings in America have drawn a detailed picture of the cost of racism in America and how to overcome it together.
• Contemporary Sociological Theories and American Racism The central intention of this theory paper is to apply modern theoretical concepts from the humanities discipline of sociology to the topic of racism in the United States.
• A Cause-and-Effect Analysis of Racism and Discrimination As a result, it is vital to conduct a cause-and-effect analysis to determine the key immediate and hidden causes of racism to be able to address them in a proper manner.
• Cause and Effect of Racial Discrimination Irrespective of massive efforts to emphasize the role of diversity and equality in society, it is still impossible to state that the United States is free from racial discrimination.
• Institutional Racism Through the Lenses of Housing Policy While not being allowed to buy property because of the racial covenants, the discriminated people had to house in other areas.
• Role of Racism in Contemporary US Public Opinion This source is useful because it defines racism, describes its forms, and presents the survey results about the prevalence of five types of racial bias.
• The Mutation of Racism into New Subtle Forms The trend reflects the ability of racism to respond to the rising sensitivity of the people and the widespread rejection of prejudice.
• Racism: Healthcare Crisis and the Nurses Role The diminished admittance to mind is because of the impacts of fundamental bigotry, going from doubt of the medical care framework to coordinate racial segregation by medical care suppliers.
• Origins of Racial Discrimination Despite such limitations as statistical data being left out, I will use this article to support the historical evaluation of racism in the United States and add ineffective policing to the origins of racism.
• Beverly Greene Life and View of Racism The plot of the biography, identified and formed by the Ackerman Institute for the Family in the life of the heroine, consists of dynamics, personality development and its patterns.
• Historical Racism in South Africa and the US One of the major differences between the US and South Africa is the fact that in the case of the former, an African American minority was brought to the continent to serve the White majority.
• Capitalism and Racism in Past and Present Racism includes social and economic inequalities due to racial identity and is represented through dispossession, colonialism, and slavery in the past and lynching, criminalization, and incarceration in the present.
• Minstrels’ Influence on the Spread of Racism The negative caricatures and disturbing artifacts developed to portray Black people within the museum were crucial in raising awareness on the existence of racism.
• How Parents of Color Transcend Nightmare of Racism Even after President Abraham Lincoln outlawed enslavement and won the American Civil War in 1965, prejudice toward black people remained engrained in both the northern and southern cultural structures of the United States.
• A Problem of Racial Discrimination in the Modern World This minor case suggests the greater problem that is unjustly treating people in the context of the criminal justice system. In the book, Stevenson writes about groups of people who are vulnerable to being victimized […]
• Beverly Tatum’s Monolog About Injustice of Racism Furthermore, the author’s point is to define the state of discrimination in the country and the world nowadays and explore what steps need to be taken to develop identity.
• Issue of Institutional Racism Systemic and structural racisms are a form of prejudice that is prevalent and deeply ingrained in structures, legislation, documented or unpublished guidelines, and entrenched customs and rituals.
• Racism in America Today: Problems of Today Even though racism and practices of racial discrimination had been banned in the 1960s after the mass protests and the changes to the laws that banned racial discrimination institutionally.
• Evidence of Existence of Modern Racism It would be wrong to claim that currently, the prevalence and extent of manifestations of racism are at the same level as in the middle of the last century.
• Culture Play in Prejudices, Stereotyping, and Racism However, cognitive and social aspects are significant dimensions that determine in-group members and the constituents of a threat in a global religious view hence the relationship between religion and prejudices.
• Latin-African Philosophical Wars on Racism in US Hooker juxtaposition Vasconcelos’ ‘Cosmic Race’ theory to Douglass’s account of ethnicity-based segregation in the U.S.as a way of showing the similarities between the racial versions of the two Americas.
• Confronting Stereotypes, Racism and Microaggression Stereotypes are established thought forms rooted in the minds of particular groups of people, in the social environment, and in the perception of other nations.
• Racial Discrimination in Dallas-Fort Worth Region Thus, there is a historical imbalance in the political representation of racial minorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Nonetheless, the Black population is reported to thrive best in the suburban areas of DFW, where this […]
• Healthcare Call to Action: Racism in Medicine To start the fight, it is necessary to identify the main manifestations of discrimination in health care, the reasons for the emergence of the location of social superiority and discrimination, and the scale.
• White Counselors Broaching Race and Racism Study The essence of the verbal behavior of the consultants is the ways of their reaction in the process of interaction with the client – the basic skills of counseling, accessibly including race and racism topics.
• British Colonial Racism for Aboriginal Australians Precisely this colonial racism and genocide can be considered to be the cruelest in the history of the world and may have influenced the ideas and plans of Adolf Hitler, who got inspired by the […]
• The Black People: Sexuality and Racial Discrimination Interview Review Nevertheless, the author does not provide practical solutions to the issue of racism and discrimination of the LGBTQ community. The purpose of this interview is to demonstrate the author’s attitude to the sexuality of black […]
• Racial Discrimination Through the Cosmetics Industry The variety of preconceptions such as the hypersexuality of black women and the perception of their beauty as an unideal version of whites’ one also indicates racism.
• Racism Evolution: Experience of African Diaspora As a result, distinct foundations fostered the necessity of inequality to establish effectiveness of inferiority and superiority complexes. To determine the effect of slavery and racism to modern society.
• Racial Discrimination and Residential Segregation Despite the end of segregation policies and the passing of Fair Housing laws and numerous subsidy measures, people of color cannot access wealthy areas, facing unofficial exclusion into poorer parts of the city.
• Significance of Perceived Racism:Ethnic Group Disparities in Health Coates points out that a sign of the gulf between blacks and whites manifests in the context where there is expectation for him to enlighten his opinions while in mind the essential indication lies in […]
• Racism as Origin of Enslavement Some ideas are mentioned in the video, for example, the enslavement of Black people and their children. The most shocking fact mentioned by the speaker of the video is that children of enslaved people were […]
• Colorblind Racism and Its Minimization Colorblind racism is a practice that people use to defend themselves against accusations of racism and deny the significance of the problem.
• The Bill H.R.666 Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021 That is why the given paper will identify a current and health-related bill and comment on it. This information demonstrates that it is not reasonable to oppose passing the bill under consideration.
• Summary of the Issue About Racism In schools in the United States, with the advent of the new president, a critical racial theory began to be taught.
• How the Prison Industrial Complex Perpetuate Racism In the United States, the system is a normalization of various dynamics, such as historical, cultural, and interpersonal, that routinely benefit the whites while causing negative impacts for the people of color.
• Battling Racism in the Modern World Racism and racial discrimination undermine the foundations of the dignity of an individual, as they aim to divide the human family, to which all peoples and people belong, into different categories, marking some of them […]
• Indian Youth Against Racism: Photo Analysis The main cause of racism within American societies is the high superiority complex possessed by the white individuals living with the Asian American in the society.
• Racism: Do We Need More Stringent Laws? The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is worried that national origin discrimination in the U.S.may go undetected because victims of prejudice are unaware of their legal rights or are hesitant to complain […]
• Problem of Racism in Schools Overview Racism should be discouraged by all means and the government should do its best to educate citizens on the importance of unity and the disadvantages of racism.
• US Immigration Policy and Its Correlation to Structural Racism That may create breaches in the immigration policy and cause social instability that could endanger the status of immigrants and even negatively affect the lives of the nationals.
• America: Racism, Terrorism, and Ethno-Culturalism The myth of the frontier is one of the strongest and long-lived myths of America that animates the imagination of the Americans even to this day.
• Issue of Racism in Healthcare The theory would question whether racism in healthcare is ethical and whether it facilitates the provision of care in a manner that is centered on values such as compassion, fairness, and integrity.
• Solving Racial Discrimination in the US: The Best Strategies The Hollywood representation of a black woman is often a magical hero who “is a virtuous black character who serves to better the lives of white people…and asks nothing for herself”.
• Popular Music at the Times of Racism and Segregation The following work will compare and contrast the compositions of Louis Armstrong and Scott Joplin and examine the impact of racism on popular music.
• Temporary Aid Program: Racism in Child Welfare The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in the context of child welfare disparities.
• Western Scientific Approach as a Cause of Racism This paper will highlight the main methods of refuting the works of racist anthropologists and how they influenced the emergence of stereotypes about people of color.
• How Does Racism Affect Health? Many people of color experience internalized racism, which can lead to anxiety and depression that can be the cause of physical issues.
• Citizen: An American Lyric and Systemic Racism In essence, the primary objective of the author is to trigger the readers’ thoughts towards the devastating racism situation in America and the world in general.
• The Reflection of Twain’s Views on Racism in Huck Finn One of the most problematic aspects in the novel that potentially can make readers think that Twain’s attitude toward slavery and racism is not laudable is the excessive usage of the n-word by all sorts […]
• Black as a Label: Racial Discrimination People are so used to identifying African Americans as black that they refuse to accept the possibility of the artificiality of labeling.
• The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Racial Discrimination The author argues that despite increasing the overall prosperity of the local communities, the policies and projects of the Tennessee Valley Authority did not address the well-being of the white population and Afro-American citizens equally.
• Flint Water Crisis: Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism The Flint crisis is a result of the neoliberal approach of the local state as opposed to the typical factors of environmental injustice; a polluter or a reckless emitter cutting costs. The two main factors […]
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism One of the sources under study is valuable, as it examines the current situation of the coronavirus and the impact of pollution on human health.
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism in the US Bentlyewski and Juhn argue that the environmental racism in the country has been the result of aligning the public environmental policy and industrial activity to benefit the white majority and, at the same time, shifting […]
• American Healthcare in the Context of Racism According to the researchers, the fundamental issue of racism in health care is the practitioners and public health representatives’ lack of desire to recognize the health specifics of racial and ethnic minorities, which results in […]
• Origins of Modern Racism and Ancient Slavery The diversity of African kingdoms and the empires were engaged in the slave trade for hundreds of years prior to the beginnings of the Atlantic slave trade. The working and living condition of slaves were […]
• Root Causes and Solutions to Racism Media is meant to eradicate racism and maintain unity among people but the case is different in some situations. Also, it is vital to make children understand nothing is amusing in the use of stereotypes […]
• Contribution of Racism to Economic Recession Due to COVID-19 The historical injustice accounts for unequal employment opportunities and the economic profile of the minority groups. Therefore, economic recovery for the older Latinos and Blacks is limited due to the lack of flexible occupational benefits.
• What Stories Can Teach Us About Racism On top of this before the establishment of the school there was no public education for the Negro children and this made it more difficult for the children to access education just like the other […]
• Racism in Canadian Medical System The difference in the treatment of indigenous and non-indigenous individuals in Canada is a result of racism in the medical facility.
• Profit and Racism in the Prisons of the United States As an argument for the work of prisoners, the prison of Angola makes the argument that work is a way of rehabilitation for the prisoner.
• Rio Tinto: Case Study About Racism and Discrimination The repercussions of this situation for the preservation of cultural heritage may be considerable, as the expert community was denied an opportunity to research the artifacts.
• Racism: US v. The Amistad and Dred Scott v. Sandford In legal terms, the key difference between the two was that the Africans from Amistad were freeborn and enslaved in violation of the international agreements, while Dred Scott, despite his sojourn in Illinois, was born […]
• Critical Social Problems Research: Racism and Racial Domination According to his opinion, which is proven today by many examples including the attitude of the authorities, people of color are treated as if they are worthless and not destined to achieve success.
• Criminal Justice: Racial Prejudice and Racial Discrimination Souryal takes the reader through the racial prejudice and racial discrimination issues ranging from the temperament of racism, the fundamental premise of unfairness, the racial biasness and the causes of racial unfairness to ethical practices […]
• Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch Discrimination Racism Lawsuit: An Analysis The case was filed in June 2003, and the claim was that this company has grossly violated the rights of the citizens as provided for in the constitution of the country.
• The History of Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on the American Races The saddest part of it all is that our Indian American brothers are discussed in public and used as examples in a manner that makes it seem like they exist only as a mere caricature […]
• Racial Discrimination in the US Criminal Justice System This report argues that when one studies the proportion of blacks in the Cincinnati community and the number of times that they have been stopped for traffic violations, one finds that there is a large […]
• Policing in America: The Issue of Violence and Racism While the former proposition has various negative aspects to be considered, the latter appears to be the appropriate reaction to the challenges posed for the United States’ society in 2020.
• Institutional and Interpersonal Racism, White Privilege One should be aware of the fact that issues such as institutional and interpersonal racism, privilege, power, and bias are complex problems, which need a thorough analysis and consideration of all the facts.
• Anti-Racism in Shakespeare’s Othello For Shakespeare, Brabantio’s views are representative of the racial prejudice of the society in general, rather than of his personal feelings towards the protagonist. On the other hand, Othello’s story is cohesive and believable; he […]
• The Development of a Measure to Assess Symbolic Racism The originators of the concept applied it only to the African-American race, while other scientists engaged in researching and applying the construct of symbolic racism to other races and cultures.
• Racism and Tokenism in Bon Appetit: Leadership and Ethical Perspective Leadership is defined as a set of actions and beliefs of a manager who directs and controls the followers to achieve a common goal.
• From “Scientific” Racism to Local Histories of Lynching Both chapters serve as a premise to the following arguments in the book, arguing that White power is still dominant in the contemporary world, and give context to the broader scale of oppression worldwide.
• Subjective Assumptions and Medicine: Racism The given supposition demonstrates that Allen believed in the superiority of white southerners over Black Americans because the latter ones were made responsible for the deteriorated health of the former.
• Racism Experiences in the Workplace in the UK This research paper provides the background of racism in the UK, particularly in the area of employment. The UK struggles against racial discrimination and paves the way to equity and inclusion in the area of […]
• The History of Immigration to the United States and the Nature of Racism The development of the idea of race and ethnicity along with the idea of racial antagonism has two main stages in the history of the United States.
• Race and Racism in the USA: The Origins and the Future In conclusion, the author suggests that the possible solution to the problem of racial conflicts is the amalgamation of different races and ethnics.
• Racially Insensitive Name-Calling in Classroom Probably, the teacher had to initiate the lesson devoted to the topic of racial discrimination and to think over all the stages of the discussion, to organize it in a polite and friendly manner.
• Environmental Racism in the United States: Concept, Solution to the Problem With regards to this definition, a row of issues connected to social justice and the equality in the rights of people which is firmly established in the Constitution of the United States are to be […]
• Protecting George Wallace’s Organized Racism Instead of claiming that segregation was a necessary evil or that it benefited the minorities, he claimed that it is the only way to protect the freedom of the white people.
• How Can the World Unite to Fight Racism? One of the highly discussed topics in the modern world is the question of racism. It all leads to the idea that racism could be fought due to the improved educational system, where the teachers […]
• Racism in America and Its Literature In the first part of this stanza, Hughes articulates his view that when an African American is finally sitting at the table, others will recognize the beauty of African Americans.
• Race, Class and Gender. Racism on Practice The separation and the segregation on an individual or group is what is based on the grounds of racism, and this has been well illustrated in the book the Ethics of Living Jim Crow where […]
• Racism: Term Definition and History of Display of Racism Remarks It is no wonder that this form of discrimination is known to have caused the worst wars in the world and led to nations being formed together with all forms of legal codes.
• Institutional Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism Racism that is in the society today is not evident like that of the early 19th and 20th century which was characterized by among other things separation based on color of the skin, religious differences […]
• Racism in Contemporary North America The reality of the matter is that the different cultures and races share the political atmosphere, however, when it comes to religious, moral, and social practices, the diversified humanity of Canada does not share the […]
• Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace and Housing Job discrimination is that discrimination which arises at the places of work Factors that include the presence of a high population of the unemployed create room for the vice.
• “Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison: Themes of Racism and Unequal Opportunity But the mismatch of the real-life and the world of the primer becomes obvious to the reader from the first pages of the novel.
• Racism Without Racists in Patriarchal Society First of all, it should be mentioned that color-blind racism is not a new ideology that is only developing in the contemporary American society; it has been strengthening its positions over several decades gradually becoming […]
• The Problem of Racism in Canada The main focus of the article “Racism in the Justice System” can be understood due to the title of the article.
• Exploring and Comparing Racism and Ethnocentrism In their works, Martin Luther King and Gloria Anzaldua describe experience of racial minorities and segregation caused by their color of skin and cultural beliefs.
• Racism Cannot Be Unlearned Through Education The educational system is based on the precept that one should accept and appreciate the other regardless of the color of their skin as this is the right thing to do.
• Racism in Movies: Stereotypes and Prejudices
• Facing Racism: A Short Story
• White Supremacy as an Extreme Racism Group
• American Racism: So Why Isn’t Obama White?
• Rasism in “No Telephone to Heaven” by Michelle Cliff
• Racism Issues: Looking and Stereotype
• Anti-Racism Policy Statement in Australian Schools
• Racism, Minorities and Majorities Analysis
• Racism and Ethnicity in Latin America
• Racial Discrimination in Song ‘Strange Fruit’
• Racism Effects on the Premier League Players
• Social Psychology: Racism in Jury Behaviour
• Racism in the United States of the 21st Century
• “A Genealogy of Modern Racism” by C. West
• Appiah’s Ideas of Racism, Equality, and Justice
• Sexism, Racism, Ableism, Ageism, Classism
• Racism in Media: Positive and Negative Impact
• Racism: Once Overt, but Now Covert
• Racism: “Get Out” Film and “Screams on Screens” Article
• How Racism Makes Us Sick: Public Talk That Matters
• Environmental Racism and Indigenous Knowledge
• Scientific Racism: the Eugenics of Social Darwinism
• Racism in the “Do the Right Thing” Movie
• Islam and Racism: Malcolm X’s Letter From Mecca
• Racism vs. “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”
• Racism in Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders
• Racism in Australian Football League Sporting Clubs
• Thomas Jefferson on Civil Rights, Slavery, Racism
• Racial Discrimination Forms Against Afro-Americas
• Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
• White Privilege and Racism in American Society
• Racism, Privilege and Stereotyping Concepts
• Racism in Rankine’s “Citizen” and Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad”
• Kansas State University Community’s Racism Issues
• Racism in the United States: Before and After World War II
• Baldwin’s and Coates’ Anti-Racism Communication
• The Problem of Racism and Injustice
• Racism as the Epitome of Moral Bankruptcy
• Racism and Prejudice: “Gone With the Wind“ and “The Help”
• Racism in “The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
• Racism in Trump’s and Clinton’s Campaigns
• Colin Powell and the Fight Against Structural Racism
• Racism in “Passing” and “Uncle Tom’s Children” Novels
• Racism in “To Kill Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee
• Racism Elimination and Sociological Strategies
• Racism History in No Name on the Street by Baldwin
• “Nigger” as a Racially Directed Slur
• Social and Cultural Diversity and Racism
• Racism and Discrimination in Religion Context
• Racism: Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methods
• Racism in the Setting the Rising Sun Postcard
• Does Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today?
• The Voting Rights Act and Racial Discrimination
• English Literature Impact on Racism Among Africans
• Jerrell Shofner’s Views on the Racial Discrimination
• Asian American Communities and Racism in the USA
• Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on Employees
• Racial Discrimination in Social Institutions
• King’s and Obama’s Views on Racism in America
• Racism in USA: Virginia Laws on Slavery
• Racism as a Reality of Modern American Society
• Rodney King’s Case of Racial Discrimination
• Racism Issue and Solutions
• Intersectionality and Gendered Racism
• Racism and Education in the United States
• Racism in Michigan University
• Conflict and Racial Hostility
• Racism as a Case of Ignorance and Prejudice
• Racism and Segregation in American History
• Humanism, Racism, and Speciesism
• Racism in American Schools
• Racist America: Current Realities and Future Prospects
• Racism Against Native Americans
• Obama’s First Election and Racism
• Adolf Hitler: From Patriotism to Racism
• “Globalization and the Unleashing of New Racism: an Introduction” by Macedo and Gounari
• Problems of Environmental Racism
• How Obama’s First Election Has Been Affected by Racism?
• How Different Young Australians Experience Racism?
• Racial Discrimination in Organizations
• Understanding Race and Racism
• In Australia, Are Cultural Rights a Form of Racism?
• Racism, Stigma, and Eexism – Sociology
• Racism and Ethnicity in United States
• ‘Animal Rights’ Activists and Racism
• The Racial Discrimination Among Employers
• Psychological Impact: Stereotyping, Prejudice and Racism
• Multicultural Psychology: Cultural Identity and Racism
• How Fake News Use Satire as a Medium to Address Issues on Racism?
• Young Australians and Racism
• Relationship Between Institutionalized Racism and Marxism
• Democratic Racism in Canada
• Social Construction of “Race” and “Racism” and Its Relationship to Democratic Racism in Canada
• Ethnicity: Oppression and Racism
• Black or White Racism
• Racism in Family Therapy by Laszloffy and Hardy
• The Roma Problems and the Causes of Racism
• Racial Discrimination in the US
• The ‘Peopling’ Process of Australia Since 1788 With Influence of Racism
• Is Racism and Anti-Semitism Still a Problem in the United States?
• Globalization and Racism
• Society Moral Standards: Racism and Its Harmful Effects
• Racism in Native Son
• The Issue of Racial Segregation in the United States
• Racism and Male Dominance in Education
• Comparison of Racism in the United States and South Africa
• English Racism During World Cup
• The Historical Roots of Racism in Australia
• Maya Angelou: Racism and Segregation in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
• Racism Is Not All About Individual Attitude
• Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism in the United States
• Racial or Ethnical Discrimination
• The Role of Racism in American Art During the 1930s and 1940s
• Promotion of Racism in US Through Sports
• Racism in U.S. Criminal Justice System
• Racism, Colonialism and the Emergence of Third World
• Slavery and Racism: Black Brazilians v. Black Americans
• Why the Philosophy of King is More Effective in Fighting Racism than Malcolm’s?
• Racism and Discrimination: White Privilege
• Racism and Segregation in the United States
• The Root Cause of Racism and Ethnic Stratification in the US
• Racism and Anti-Semitism in the United States: The Issues Which Are Yet to Be Solved
• Racism in the USA
• Evidence of Racism in the American Schools
• Analysis on Religion, Racism and Family Conflicts
• Racism in American Schools: A Critical Look at the Modern School Mini-Society
• The Concept of Racism
• The Theme of Liberation From Racism in Two Plays by August Wilson
• The Policy Status Quo to Prevent Racism in American Schools
• Racial Profiling: Discrimination the People of Color
• Racism as a Central Factor in Representing Asian American History
• Reducing Racism in the University of Alberta and University of York
• Achebe’s Views on Racism
• Racial Stereotypes in Movie Industry
• Racism in the American Nation
• The Civil Rights Movement: Ending Racial Discrimination and Segregation in America
• Institutionalized Racism and Sexism
• The Anatomy of Scientific Racism: Racialist Responses to Black Athletic Achievement
• The Problem of Global Racism in Modern World
• Comparison of Ethnicity and Racism in “Country Lovers” and “The Welcome Table”
• Racial Discrimination at the World Bank
• Australian Identities: Indigenous and Multicultural
• Racial Discrimination in America
• Institutionalized Racism From John Brown Raid to Jim Crow Laws
• Racism in America After the Civil War up to 1900
• Have You Experienced Racism in Korea?
• Racism in the “Crash”
• Contemporary Racism in Australia: the Experience of Aborigines
• Racism By Thomas Jackson
• Addressing the Racism in Society
• Racism in the Penitentiary
• Different Challenges of Racial Discrimination
• Slavery, Racism, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• American Indians: Racial Segregation and Discrimination
• Why it is Safe to Say that Northrop’s Book Exposes the Roots of Racism in America
• Psychological Development: Racism, Affirmative Action and Health Care
• How Has Racism Changed Throughout History, Starting From the Emancipation Proclamation to Today?
• Do Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today?
• How Did Ideas of Black Stereotypes and Racism Become Embedded in American Culture?
• How Does Racism Affect the Way of a Caste Like System?
• What Connection Is Between Globalization and Racism?
• Why Do Exist Discrimination and Racism?
• How Do Educational Institutions Perpetuate Racism, Sexism, and Patriarchy?
• How Do Racism and Exclusion Shape the Social Geography of Race and Ethnicity?
• What Ways Does Cultural Racism Manifest Itself?
• How the Media Maintains Racism?
• Why Slavery and Racism Issues Still Affect America Today?
• How Racism and Ethnicity Affect the Sector of Education?
• How Has Racism Impacted Immigrant Families and Children?
• When Did Racism Begin?
• Racism: Why It’s Bad for Society and the Greater Health Issues It Creates?
• How Have Evolutionary Ideas Shaped Racism?
• Why Is Racism Bad for Society?
• What Effect Does Color-Blind Racism Have On Minorities in Society Today?
• How Does Sports Helped Diminish Racism?
• How Does Both Individual and Institutional Racism Impact Service Provision and the Experiences of People Receiving Services?
• Did Slavery Cause Racism?
• When You Think About Racism, What Do You Think About?
• What Does Racism Mean?
• Does Affirmative Action Solve Racism?
• Did Racism Precede Slavery?
• How Does Racism Affect Society?
• Does Racism Still Occur Today and Why People Can’t a Change?
• Between Compassion and Racism: How the Biopolitics of Neoliberal Welfare Turns Citizens Into Affective ‘Idiots’?
• Does Racism Play a Role in Health Inequities?
• Sexual Abuse Essay Titles
• Youth Violence Research Topics
• Black Lives Matter Topics
• Ethnocentrism Topics
• Fascism Questions
• Segregation Research Topics
• Genocide Essay Titles
• Workplace Discrimination Research Topics
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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Racial Discrimination — The Impact of Racism on the Society

Racism in Society, Its Effects and Ways to Overcome

• Categories: Racial Discrimination

About this sample

Words: 2796 |

14 min read

Published: Jun 10, 2020

Words: 2796 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read

Table of contents

Executive summary, the effects of racism in today’s world (essay), works cited.

• The current platform of social media has given many of the minorities their voice; they can make sure that the world can hear them and their opinions are made clear. This phenomenon is only going to rise with the rise of social media in the coming years.
• The diversity of race, culture and ethnicity that has been seen as a cause of rift and disrupt in the society in the past, will act as a catalyst for social development sooner rather than later, with the decrease in racism.
• Racist view of an individual are not inherited, they are learned. With that in mind, it is fair to assume that the coming generations will not be as critical of an individual’s race as the older generations have been.
• If people dismiss the concept of racial/ethnical evaluations and instead, evaluate an individual on one’s abilities and capabilities, the economic development will definitely have a rise.
• A lot of intra-society grievances and mishaps that are caused due to misconceptions of an ethnic group can be reduced as social interaction increases.
• As people from different ethnic backgrounds, coming from humble beginnings, discriminated throughout their careers, manage to emerge successful to the public platform, the racist train of thought is being exposed and will continue to do so. This will inspire people from any and every background, race, language, ethnicity to step forward and compete on the large scale.
• Racism and prejudice are at the root of racial profiling and that racial bias has been interweaved into the culture of most societies. However, these chains have grown much weaker as time has passed, to the point that they are in a fragile state.
• Another ray of hope that can be witnessed nowadays that people are no longer ashamed of their cultural identity. People now believe that their cultural background is in no way or form inferior to another and thus, worth defending. This will turn out to be a major factor in minimizing racism in the future.
• Because of the strong activism against racism, a new phenomenon has emerged that is color blindness, which is the complete disregard of racial characteristics in any kind of social situation.
• The world is definitely going in the right direction concerning the curse that is Racism; however, it is far too early to claim that humankind will completely rid itself of this vile malignance. PrescriptionsRacism is a curse that has plagued humanity since long. It has been responsible for multitudes of nefarious acts in the past and is causing a lot of harm even now, therefore care must be taken that this problem is brought under control as soon as possible so as not to hinder the growth of human societies. The following are some of the precautions, so to say, that will help tremendously in tackling this problem.
• The first and foremost step is to take this problem seriously both on an individual and on community level. Racism is something that can not be termed as a minor issue and dismissed. History books dictate that racism is responsible for countless deaths and will continue to claim the lives of more innocents unless it is brought under control with a firm hand. The first step to controlling it is to accept racism as a serious problem.
• Another problem is that many misconceptions or rumors that are dismissed by most people as a trivial detail are sometimes a big deal for other people, which might push them over the edge to commit a crime or some other injustice. So whenever there is an anomaly, a misconception or a misrepresentation of an individual’s, a group’s or a society’s ideas or beliefs, try to be the voice of reason rather than staying quiet about it. Decades of staying silent over crucial issues has caused us much harm and brought us to this point, staying silent now can only lead us to annihilation.
• One of most radical and effective solution to racial diversity is to turn it from something negative to something positive. Where previously, one does not talk to someone because of his or her cultural differences, now talk to them exactly because of that. If different cultures and races start taking steps, baby steps even, towards the goal of acquiring mutual respect and trust, racism can be held in check.
• On the national level, contingencies can be introduced and laws can be made that support cultural diversity and preach against anything that puts it in harm’s way. Taking such measures will make every single member of the society well aware of the scale of this problem and people will take it more seriously rather than ridiculing it.
• Finally, just as being racist was a part of the culture in the older generations, we need to make being anti-racist a part of our cultures. If our children, our youth grew up watching their elders and their role models dissing and undermining racism at every point of life, they will definitely adopt a lifestyle that will allow no racial discriminations in their life.

Methodology

Findings and results.

• Is racism justifiable?
• Is the current trend of racism increasing in your country?
• Do you have any acquaintances or friends that belong to a different ethnical background?
• Would you ever use someone’s race against them to win an argument?
• Would you agree to work in a diverse racial environment?
• Will humankind ever rid itself of racism?
• Have you ever taken any measures to abate racism?
• Racism has changed the relationship between people?
• Racial discriminations are apparent in our everyday life.
• One racial/ethnic group can be superior to another
• Racial/ethnic factors can change your perception of a person.
• Racial diversity can cause problems in one’s society.
• Racial or Ethnical conflict should be in cooperated into the laws of one’s society.
• Are you satisfied with the way different ethnic groups are treated in your society?
• ABC News. (2021). The legacy of racism in America. https://abcnews.go.com/US/legacy-racism-america/story?id=77223885
• British Broadcasting Corporation. (2021). Racism: What is it? https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53498245
• Chetty, R., Hendren, N., & Jones, M. R. (2020). Racism and the American economy. Harvard University.
• Gibson, K. L., & Oberg, K. (2019). What does racism look like today? National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/04/what-does-racism-look-like-today-feature/
• Hughey, M. W. (2021). White supremacy. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Sociology.
• Jones, M. T., & Janson, C. (2020). Racism and health: Evidence and needed research. Annual Review of Public Health, 41, 1-16.
• Krieger, N. (2019). Discrimination and racial inequities in health : A commentary and a research agenda. American Journal of Public Health, 109(S1), S82-S85.
• Kteily, N., Bruneau, E., Waytz, A., & Cotterill, S. (2021). The psychology of racism: A review of theory and research. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 479-514.
• Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014). The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 921-948.
• Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2013). Racism and health I: Pathways and scientific evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152-1173.

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Education to prevent racism and discrimination: the case of anti-Semitism

Education as the primary factor in preventing all forms of racism and discrimination was the main focus of a high-level event organized by UNESCO at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly today. Through the lens of its program to prevent anti-Semitism, UNESCO sought to mobilize Member States’ commitment in the fight against all forms of intolerance and to strengthen the organization’s overall efforts to prevent racism and discrimination.   

In her remarks opening the session on The power of education to prevent racism and discrimination: the case of anti-Semitism, Director-General Audrey Azoulay highlighted the importance of working as one: “this requires the mobilization of all member states”, she said, “and education is the best tool at our disposal to prevent all forms of intolerance and discrimination and to ensure equal respect for every woman and man,” adding “antisemitism undermines fundamental rights in general. To address it is to defend fundamental freedoms. It is to defend the equal dignity of all human beings.”

In the presence of Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, the event included the participation of the Prime Minister of Morocco, Saadeddine Othmani, and Ministers representing Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Several hundred government officials and senior representatives of civil society organizations were also in attendance. Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, also delivered a speech. Professor Deborah Lipstadt, of the Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies program at Emory University and Mina Abdelmalak, Arab Outreach Specialist at the Initiative on Holocaust Denial and Antisemitism of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum were also among the speakers.

UNESCO’s extensive work in the field of preventing violent extremism through education has included publications such as Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims  and co-publishing earlier this year with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the first-ever policy guidelines on  Addressing anti-Semitism through education.

Media contact: Aurélie Motta-Rivey, +33 7 72 44 89 91,  a.motta-rivey@unesco.org

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Combating racism through research, training, practice, and public health policies, jeffrey e. hall.

1 Office of Health Equity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

L. Ebony Boulware

2 Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

3 Advocate Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Racism is “a system [of power and oppression] of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call “race”) that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources” ( 1 ). At a systems level, racism is a public health problem, threat, and crisis ( 2 – 4 ). Its presence in society’s policies, practices, and programs creates inequities in access to vital conditions for health and well-being based on social ascriptions of race and ethnicity — resulting, for instance, in disparate access to and the quality of basic requirements for health and safety; residential neighborhood and housing options; developmental and educational experiences; and jobs, careers, and lifestyles ( 5 – 11 ). These inequities, in turn, produce and perpetuate disparities in health and disease experiences and outcomes. Because of its omnipresence, racism permeates every level of society, including the health care and public health sectors, creating racial and ethnic inequities in the operations of their infrastructures and, accordingly, in the delivery of essential services ( 12 – 21 ).

The work in this collection, “Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies,” captures insights on roles and actions taken in public health, medicine, and policy to eliminate racism as a public health threat. Preventing Chronic Disease solicited manuscripts to elucidate research, training, practice, and public health policy–based efforts that address topics ranging from the effects of racism and racial discrimination on psychological, mental, and emotional health and disease risk to institutional, organizational, or community policies and changes implemented to address institutional racism. Articles in this collection 1) link exposures to racial discrimination with morbidity among diverse populations; 2) detail implementation of multicomponent antiracist initiatives enacted in schools of public health, schools of medicine, and other university-affiliated units; and 3) elevate attention to underlying drivers of structural inequities in housing and to domains through which meaningful community engagement in health initiatives is achievable.

Racial Discrimination Experiences and Morbidity

The creation of racially and ethnically patterned differences in morbidity and mortality is well documented — covering many populations and health dimensions ( 7 , 22 – 26 ). However, continued expansion and updating of knowledge about how racism affects health, and who it affects, are critical to ensure that health care and public health remain capable of accounting for and mitigating the effects of all its manifestations. Original research by Reyes-Ortiz et al ( 27 ) demonstrates the continued salience of personally mediated racism and interpersonal racial discrimination as an emphasis toward which the performance of core functions must be directed and adapted.

Experiencing rejection, unfair treatment, or discrimination because of the meanings assigned to race, ethnicity, and skin color affects the odds of experiencing 2 or more chronic conditions concurrently in older adulthood among Colombians ( 27 ). Such experiences may increase or amplify the burden and complexity of multimorbidity patterns with which Columbian health care and public health systems must contend. They also may necessitate adoption of life course approaches to chronic disease management that are more socioecologically and clinically nuanced. Using racially informed, life course–anchored practice models may help assure equitable service delivery to older adults whose current health reflects culturally structured, race-related stress accumulated in social institutions during sensitive periods, developmentally significant social transitions, or ubiquitously over a lifetime ( 28 – 31 ).

Implementation of Multicomponent Antiracist Initiatives in University-Affiliated Units

Academic organizations play an important role in perpetuating racism and its effects on health through institutional norms, pedagogy, and research practices ( 32 – 36 ). Several approaches to dismantling institutional racism are described in this collection. Rinderknecht et al ( 37 ) describe work to break down structurally racist processes and cultural barriers to entry into medical careers. They describe a novel longitudinal mentorship program for aspiring medical students who come from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. Students articulated key areas they perceived as structurally racist barriers to successful medical school application, including difficulty with medical school entrance examination preparation, lack of mentorship, and financial considerations. Moreover, the authors describe a novel program in which racially and ethnically minoritized (hereinafter referred to as minoritized) medical students provide direct mentorship to aspiring racial and ethnic minority premedical students to help them overcome these barriers, resulting in increases in confidence and competencies required for successful medical school application. Their work provides a model for enhancing the entry of students from minoritized communities into medical and public health careers.

Both Allen et al ( 38 ) and Polston et al ( 39 ) describe efforts to eliminate institutional-level racism in schools of public health through organizational change efforts. Allen et al describe a comprehensive process at the University of California, Berkeley, whereby the organization is undergoing an active and transformative longitudinal process to embed antiracism throughout the school’s culture and practices. Efforts focus on multiple facets of the school’s community and culture, including improvement of faculty and workforce development, student experiences, curriculum and pedagogy, community outreach, and business processes. They describe robust efforts to collect data to drive assessment and accountability and provide an exemplar for similar efforts. Polston et al describe similarly motivated efforts at the University of North at Carolina Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, whereby student activism and grassroots efforts, including qualitative data collection and analysis, led to the development of an institutional Equity Task Force. The task force developed and implemented antiracism actions in 6 areas, including 1) transforming culture and climate; 2) enhancing teaching, mentoring, and training; 3) revisiting how faculty and staff performance are assessed; 4) strengthening recruitment and retention of minoritized faculty; 5) increasing transparency in student hiring and resources; and 6) improving equity research–oriented planning. They provide a planning tool to help guide others in creating an antiracist institutional culture.

The approach to pedagogy in institutions of health-related higher learning also represents an important focus for antiracism efforts ( 17 , 34 , 40 ). Specifically, a need exists to ensure students in health-related fields are well trained to recognize and dismantle racism and to develop strategies to eliminate racism in their future professional practice. Durham Walker et al ( 41 ) describe a community heath course at Morehouse School of Medicine that trains medical students to work with minoritized and disadvantaged individuals and communities. This service-learning course shifts the lens of pedagogy beyond a traditional patient-centric focus on pathology to a diagnosis and assessment of the health of communities. Coursework helps students learn to develop action plans to improve aspects of community health, providing students with foundational knowledge of the effect of racism on health. This work provides a model for others seeking to fundamentally change workforce views on racism and its harmful effects on health, and to activate health professionals to dismantle the effect of racism on health through action.

Academic organizations also promote and support research that has promulgated well-earned distrust of medical research ( 42 , 43 ). Lebow-Skelley et al ( 44 ) acknowledge research centers as entities that affect faculty, students, and surrounding communities and have the potential to dismantle historically systemically racist research practices. They describe efforts at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health through the HERCULES environmental research program to 1) acknowledge and confront the university’s history of slavery and dispossession and 2) recognize and act on the need to address systemic and institutional racism in research practices. They embrace antiracist actions to transform their approach to university and academic partnerships with the ultimate goals of improving trust and accountability and creating equity in academic–community partnerships that provide a model for others.

Drivers of Structural Inequities: Housing and Community Engagement

Health-based efforts to dismantle racism must eliminate racial and ethnic inequities in social determinants of health such as housing while maximizing community agency in health promotion and disease prevention ( 7 – 9 , 18 , 19 , 26 , 45 ). In her essay, Wonderly first encourages additional attention to housing as a particularly important social determinant of health. She links racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 risks and outcomes to inequities in housing access to further catalyze consideration of how housing costs, conditions, consistency, and contexts influence health, health care, and public health outcomes ( 46 ). Eliminating housing as a key arena where racial and ethnic health disparities are created requires interventions that expand and stabilize access to physically sound, high-quality, affordable housing in neighborhoods with robust environments, infrastructures, and institutions. Elevating humane housing as a vital condition for health as part of intersectoral action may aid in permanently expelling racism from this arena. Strategic integrations of Antiracist and Health and Equity in All Policies approaches could facilitate remediation of racist policies and practices that determine housing stock availability, neighborhood composition and resource allocations, and wealth accumulation opportunities associated with home ownership.

Although Wonderly’s discussion of housing calls for addressing features of social structure, her treatment of meaningful community engagement urges committed investment in enhancing community agency. At base, she asserts that meaningful advancement of health equity and systems transformation can result from strengthening partnerships and alliances, expanding co-created community knowledge, designing community-relevant health and health care programs and policies, and cultivating thriving communities ( 46 ). Centering and embracing historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities as true action partners via concerted investment in such domains may diminish power imbalances and reduce health disparities resulting from structural racism. Significant strides in dismantling and healing the harms of racist systems can be made together with communities who feel engaged and who capably wield tools for systems change in a manner consistent with their felt needs and interests.

Conclusion and Directions Forward

The articles in this PCD collection provide inspiration for future efforts to dismantle racism in public health and medicine, and they also help identify gaps in the field for future progress. First, these articles demonstrate the need for continued efforts to link exposures to racial discrimination with morbidity experiences among minoritized individuals and communities. Studies could include efforts that elucidate interactions between racialized contexts in shaping health, such as specific life stages and settings for experiences of discrimination for discrete populations. Research could also include more sophisticated analyses of policies, such as redlining and resultant differences in built environments and health-promoting environments, which are associated with inequitable health outcomes. Regarding the former set of studies, examinations of how distinctive combinations of institutional policies of specific places reinforce social marginalization could help devise more robust tactics for pursuing equity with populations whose social positions are reinforced by particular racialization and multiple, overlapping minoritization processes. New discoveries here are key to overcome limitations of strategies for addressing racism through universal remediation — which ignore important within-population and between-population differences in structural positioning that can vary exposures to chronic stress and the availability of protective social and socioeconomic capital. In addition, actively considering intersections of multiple interlocking systems of privilege and oppression, such as racism, heterosexism, and cisgenderism, in shaping health allows health care and public health to be in a better position to address the compounded effects of these systems on physical and mental health ( 16 , 18 , 31 , 47 – 50 ). Each new effort here advances use of intersectional frameworks that give increasingly more relevant service to populations whose social positions relative to well-being are jointly determined by the many social systems, processes, and hierarchies stratifying society. Regarding the latter category of studies, analyses of interdependencies in nested policy hierarchies and networks governing racial equity and evidence-driven recommendations for altering them are crucial to demolish racist systems effectively and permanently. Better addressing enmeshed local, state and territorial, and national policies linked to racially disparate treatment and disproportionate impact could clear grounds upon which antiracist systems could be constructed.

The articles in this collection also highlight the need for educational institutions in medicine and public health to look within themselves to identify and dismantle fundamentally racist norms, pedagogies, and processes that perpetuate racist practices in clinical and public health practice and research. Efforts should examine and reform admissions and hiring practices, curricula, teaching and mentor training and hiring practices, approaches to retain and promote minoritized individuals and staff, and institutional partnerships and contracting practices. Strategies for effectively synergizing organizational change efforts of individual institutions to eliminate systemic racism require additional attention. Strides here are key to transforming racism initiatives within institutions into movements capable of tackling racism in health care and public health systems.

Increased attention is also needed to codify and actualize the imperative of meaningfully engaging community partners in focused efforts to address inequities in housing, food insecurity and poverty, and other “nonhealth” domains that affect health. We must find ways to make community-centered strategies that incorporate multisystemic, intersectional approaches our norm and mandate. Doing so may more effectively blend and leverage community and institutional assets, evidence, and know-how to address racism in all systems affecting health opportunity.

Additional gaps in ongoing work, not highlighted in this collection, should also be addressed. For example, the public health sector should become more actively engaged in efforts to dismantle policy-mediated causes of racial health inequities. Novel strategies, including partnerships with grassroots action efforts (ie, emanating from communities) that inform system changes could be pursued to stimulate action to develop or support implementation of antiracist policies. Similar strategic partnerships with other nonhealth sectors (eg, business, justice) for maximum effectiveness could create powerful alliances with the potential to influence social change in and across systems linked to racial and ethnic differences in health. Within the public health sector itself, work to synchronize and achieve strategic alignments of antiracist interventions in the areas of education, research, and public health practice will amplify and accelerate progress toward inseparable racial and health equity goals.

Lastly, further examination of the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in reinforcing the very systemic racism responsible for observed disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among some racial and ethnic minority populations should be contemplated as directions for future effort are considered. New longitudinal efforts here could describe and address the long-term consequences of systemic racism not only for the patterning of COVID-19 health disparities by race and ethnicity but also for the persistence and patterning of chronic disease disparities and inequities in the social determinants of health. These efforts could cover potential additional increases in morbidity and mortality that may occur among some racial and ethnic populations as COVID-19 becomes endemic. But they might also cover possible enduring functional limitations and chronic conditions that could be associated with complications of COVID-19, such as the development of 1) multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, 2) multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults, and 3) post-COVID-19 conditions (also known as long-COVID and postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection). Additional variations in subsequent disproportionate effects by race and ethnicity on well-being for different age cohorts should also be explored. This exploration is suggested because the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for social development, social participation, social network density, and psychosocial resource availability likely also vary by chronological age and social placement during the life course within race and ethnicity. Lastly, the disparate systemic implications of COVID-19 for the socioeconomic positions, collective efficacy, and access of vital conditions for health and well-being (eg, humane housing, quality education, meaningful work and wealth) of racially and ethnically diverse communities should be continuously documented and addressed. Doing so may ensure that the increased attention to systemic linkages between racism, health, and well-being stimulated by COVID-19 and social injustices occurring during the past 3 years will be sustained and leveraged toward societal transformation.

At a health systems level, pandemic-associated racial and ethnic inequities in access to prevention and treatment should be further dissected and prospectively monitored. First, health systems research could continue to identify circumstances where access inequities existing before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been exacerbated (eg, access to screenings, treatments, or procedures for breast cancer) ( 51 ). Characterizing and addressing the differential effects of such access inequities on population health care trajectories across time is essential to prevent further expansion of health gaps that widened during the pandemic. Second, equitable receipt of COVID-19 vaccines, novel therapeutics (eg, monoclonal antibody therapies and oral antiviral therapeutics), and expedited treatment of individuals who received a positive test result for the virus remain essential to reduce disparities in severe COVID-19–associated illness and deaths that continue to affect some racial and ethnic minority populations ( 52 – 54 ). Accordingly, research that clarifies strong leverage points and tactics for severing pathways through which structural racism shapes inequities in access to such modalities among racially and ethnically diverse populations is important to improve enjoyment of the protective benefits of these interventions by people with higher risks for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and for adverse outcomes. Moreover, evaluations of supply prioritization, allocation, and distribution strategies and resource triage protocols enacted during the pandemic may provide evidence that strengthens the case for giving precedence to racial equity considerations when deciding how to deploy scare resources as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve ( 54 , 55 ). Work in these 2 highlighted areas could secure health system changes that ensure all persons have fair and just opportunities to avoid, cope with, and recover from the effects of COVID-19, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Ultimately, work to dismantle racist systems present in health will require multipronged efforts that draw on numerous strengths from within and outside health care and public health institutions. As this work moves forward, our fields are called to consider bold and innovative actions that have the potential to produce lasting change.

Acknowledgments

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. No copyrighted tools or materials were used in this article.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

Suggested citation for this article: Hall JE, Boulware LE. Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:230167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230167 .

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Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies

Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies [PDF – 1.8 MB]

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PEER REVIEWED

Hall JE, Boulware LE. Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:230167.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Racial Discrimination and Multimorbidity Among Older Adults in Colombia: A National Data Analysis

Reyes-Ortiz CA, Lee T, Campo-Arias A, Ocampo-Chaparro JM, Luque JS. Racial Discrimination and Multimorbidity Among Older Adults in Colombia: A National Data Analysis. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220360.

Antiracism in Action: Development and Outcomes of a Mentorship Program for Premedical Students Who Are Underrepresented or Historically Excluded in Medicine

Rinderknecht FB, Kouyate A, Teklu S, Hahn M. Antiracism in Action: Development and Outcomes of a Mentorship Program for Premedical Students Who Are Underrepresented or Historically Excluded in Medicine. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220362.

TOOLS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE

Leading Change at Berkeley Public Health: Building the Anti-racist Community for Justice and Social Transformative Change

Allen AM, Abram C, Pothamsetty N, Jacobo A, Lewis L, Maddali SR, et al. Leading Change at Berkeley Public Health: Building the Anti-racist Community for Justice and Social Transformative Change. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220370.

Institutional Reform to Promote Antiracism: A Tool for Developing an Organizational Equity Action and Accountability Plan

Polston PM, Matthews DD, Golden SD, Golin CE, Hall MG, Saint-Phard E, et al. Institutional Reform to Promote Antiracism: A Tool for Developing an Organizational Equity Action and Accountability Plan. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220368.

Training Medical Students to Recognize, Understand, and Mitigate the Impact of Racism in a Service-Learning Course

Durham Walker C, McCray GG, Wimes A, Levine D, Rivers D. Training Medical Students to Recognize, Understand, and Mitigate the Impact of Racism in a Service-Learning Course. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220367.

A Collaborative Approach to Address Racism in a Community–Academic Partnership

Lebow-Skelley E, Scott Tomlinson M, Charles S, Fuller C, Ames B, Pearson MA. A Collaborative Approach to Address Racism in a Community–Academic Partnership. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220365.

Multilayer Solutions to Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Wonderly K. Multilayer Solutions to Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:220354.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.

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Preventing White supremacy: an applied conceptualization for the helping professions

• Perspective
• Open access
• Published: 01 September 2024
• Volume 2 , article number  52 , ( 2024 )

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• Loran Grishow-Schade   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0003-6246-1195 1  

This perspective paper synthesizes insights from social work research, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) to develop a strategy for preventing White supremacy and promoting racial justice. It examines the intricate feelings of White guilt and shame, advocating for introspection, comprehension, and active engagement by White individuals toward systemic reform. The paper underscores CRT principles like Interest Convergence and Critique of Liberalism to examine concepts such as Moral Injury, Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress, and White Shame Culture. Three main obstacles to racial justice are identified: perceptions of power, funding dynamics, and attitudes toward White identity. The paper argues that racial healing should not be solely the responsibility of people of color, emphasizing the crucial role of White people in anti-racism work within supportive settings that foster growth rather than stress and humiliation. Focusing on prevention, the paper argues for social work practices that eliminate conditions obstructing optimal social functioning while challenging oppressive systems. This includes implementing trauma-informed approaches and fostering group work centered on empathy, relationship-building, and reflection. Advocating a strategy that champions our collective liberation, it suggests social work praxis as central to applying interpersonal and group solutions to systemic racism. The paper stresses the need for preventative funding in social services—highlighting tangible action steps and reforming funding strategies to support long-term engagement and address root causes of marginalization and oppression. This integral strategy calls for a collective push toward an equitable society, significantly enriching the discourse on CRT and CWS within social work.

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The foundations of Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS), an interdisciplinary field—were laid in the previous century through the works of eminent thinkers such as W.E.B. Du Bois [ 1 ], James Baldwin [ 2 ], Zora Neal Hurston [ 3 ], Gloria Anzaldúa [ 4 ], and Vine Deloria Jr. [ 5 ] among others. These authors challenged 'Whiteness' as an unseen status quo, emphasizing its recognition to dismantle racialized oppression. CWS, a product of Critical Race Theory (CRT), builds on the work of these influential thinkers and scrutinizes White culture and its role in perpetuating systems of White supremacy, emphasizing the need to explore the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of White people [ 6 ].

Recent scholars have applied CWS principles specifically to social work. Scholars such as Nylund [ 7 ], Jeyasingham [ 8 ], and Hafen [ 9 ] have shown how entrenched White perspectives in social work hinder social justice. Their work advocates for deeper analysis of Whiteness and Whitenormativity, formal anti-racism education, and encourages White social workers to confront White supremacy culture. These studies highlight the importance of incorporating CWS into social work to combat systemic racism.

As social work strives to stay relevant and adaptive, by integrating CWS into our knowledge, skills, and abilities, as our sibling fields of psychology [ 10 ] and education [ 11 ] began more explicitly over a decade ago, we can advance our understanding of how to prevent White supremacy. This paper explores key barriers—how we think about power, funding, and attitudes toward race and racism among White practitioners—that hinder the adoption of CWS in North American social work.

The predominantly White (68.8%) and politically liberal (55%) social work field in the US presents a unique backdrop for exploring its racist history and White supremacy [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. This demographic implies a majority of White liberals, grouped under the term “liberal” for this paper.

Social work has a long-standing history of racism, acknowledged and apologized for by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in a 2021 press release [ 16 ]. CRT shows racism is entrenched in societal structures and daily interactions, often unnoticed by those with privilege [ 17 ]. CRT redefines racism as systemic inequities, not just isolated acts of discrimination. CRT and the Racial Contract expose the historical roots of racism within societal norms, perpetuating systemic inequities [ 18 ]. CRT calls for deconstructing racial categories and confronting systemic injustices for significant change. Social work’s connection to White supremacy has been examined through CRT [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, the reluctant adoption of CWS in social work raises questions, given the critical role of race and racism in the US. This situation suggests a deeper issue.

1 Positionality

In social work research, acknowledging our 'positionality'—our unique perspective shaped by personal experiences—is crucial [ 22 ]. This self-awareness helps us manage biases and understand how our backgrounds influence our research. Holding a license in social work and being a White, non-binary, queer, neurodivergent, HIV-positive millennial renting in a mid-Atlantic city while juggling three jobs and a marketplace insurance plan distinctly influences my approach to social work. As a White social worker, I use “we,” “us,” and “our” pronouns when discussing White social workers to avoid any real or perceived allusions to expertise, elitism, or an us-versus-them mentality.

In this paper, “Whiteness” is shorthand for White Culture. In the tradition of queer and feminist theories, which critiques the normalization of heterosexuality and cisgender identities through the study of heteronormativity and cisnormativity, I find “Whitenormativity” to be more precise, parallel, and streamlined to other social movements pointed toward our collective liberation from systems of oppression.

This paper speaks specifically to White practitioners, acknowledging our shared experience. In the context of the social construction of Whiteness, I find myself having this conversation with a diverse spectrum of people who have internalized this experience. This includes those who are biologically White and those who are culturally White—people who are often mis/read as biologically White. We are all part of this conversation, seeking healing and understanding. “White people” refers to individuals who are biologically or culturally White.

Lastly, I employ the term "collective liberation" instead of "anti-racism" as our end goal because it highlights that everyone's freedom is interconnected. "Collective liberation" addresses not just racism, but also other forms of oppression like sexism and classism. This term helps readers understand that dismantling White supremacy benefits the entire community, emphasizing solidarity and the well-being of all.

3 The (myth of a) White monolith

CWS critiques and examines the dynamics of race, Whiteness, and Whitenormativity [ 23 ]. These concepts can be large and opaque, so let us start by remembering that race and Whiteness do not exist in a social vacuum. Our relationships with gender, class, ability, sexuality, religion, immigration status, and age impact our relationship to race. As Lorde said, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives” [ 24 ].

Generalizations about White people fail to honor the diverse White experience. We must consider the spectrum of identities that exist simultaneously to being raced: we are gendered, aged, classed, sexed, abled, and our ethnicities determined. Our social positioning may simultaneously grant us social privileges and disadvantages. A single father on welfare in Elko, Nevada, who is White, has a different—better and worse—social experience than a mother with an au pair in Baldwin Hills, California, who is Black. Socially, we have a range of experiences within races. Being White is no different.

For example, within the White community, there is significant diversity in terms of ethnicity and experiences. Recognizing this diversity is crucial for a nuanced discussion on race and Whiteness. Nearly two-thirds of Romani Americans report feeling discriminated against due to their heritage, with close to 80% agreeing that Americans treat Roma people differently from other minority groups [ 25 ]. Similarly, Jewish people face ongoing challenges, particularly due to the current conflict in Palestine, impacting perceptions and experiences of discrimination globally [ 26 ]. These examples underscore the importance of recognizing the diverse and intersectional experiences within the White community, emphasizing the need for a nuanced discussion on race and Whiteness in social work.

Now we have a shared language and context; let’s dive in.

4 Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory (CRT) emerged from students of color at Ivy League institutions in the 1970s and '80s [ 27 ]. It aimed to challenge entrenched White supremacist narratives in academia and the legal field. Delgado and Stefancic identified its core principles: Interest Convergence, Revisionist History, Critiquing Liberalism, and Structural Determinism [ 28 ].

4.1 Core principles of CRT

Interest Convergence : Civil rights gains for communities of color often align with White self-interest. This challenges the idea that progress is purely driven by altruism.

Revisionist History : CRT reexamines America’s history, challenging majoritarian views and presenting marginalized perspectives.

Critique of Liberalism : Critical race theorists argue that liberal concepts like color blindness and neutral constitutional principles fail to address systemic racial issues.

Structural Determinism : The idea that the societal structure and its inherent vocabulary are fundamentally ill-equipped to redress certain systemic wrongs.

This paper will focus on the principles of Interest Convergence and Critique of Liberalism. Future research should explore White social workers' relationship with Revisionist History and Structural Determinism.

4.2 Focus on interest convergence

Introduced by Derrick Bell in 1980, Interest Convergence examines power dynamics and the limitations of zero-sum thinking in racial equity and justice [ 29 ]. There are many examples, and history is more complex than a summary can capture:

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in the Confederacy. This act was not only driven by moral considerations but also by the Union's strategic interests in undermining the Confederate war effort and bolstering its own military forces [ 29 ].

The US Civil Rights Act of 1964 was influenced by the emotional impact of President Kennedy's assassination, generating sympathy among White Americans and a shared interest in honoring his legacy by ending discrimination [ 30 ].

In Canada, establishing the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) following the Oka Crisis in 1990 demonstrates Interest Convergence [ 31 ]. The federal government's interests in political stability and maintaining its international human rights image aligned with and benefited from Indigenous demands for recognition and justice.

Understanding how White interests intersect with those of minoritized racial groups is key to advancing collective liberation. This shared liberation comes from meeting the interests of White people with Indigenous, Black, Latin@, and Asian populations. We must do both; we cannot do either/or. We must not de-center but co-center. This argument relies on resolving contradictions like de-centering White people in CRT and how our approaches can create reinforce White supremacy [ 32 ]. This leads us to examine the ideologies guiding our understanding of racial dynamics and their impact on professional practices.

4.3 Zero-Sum ideologies and its implications

In understanding equality and justice, we encounter the zero-sum paradigm of social progress. In economic or game theory, a zero-sum scenario is where one participant's gain or loss is balanced by the other's. Both groups cannot win. Both participants cannot lose: a competition. In discussions on racism and equality, a zero-sum viewpoint implies that advancements for marginalized groups result in losses for the dominant group. For example, opportunities for people of color through affirmative action or fair hiring practices are seen as reducing opportunities for White individuals. With limited resources or one job posting, there can be only one “winner,” making everyone else a “loser.”

In social work, zero-sum thinking is often applied to power. Abrams defines power as the ability to acquire what one needs and persuade others to help; essentially, it revolves around winning [ 33 ]. Discussions on power frequently suggest that it must be "taken" [ 34 ] or taken "away from" [ 35 ] dominant populations (re: White, straight, able, men)—and redistributed [ 36 ]—implying that non-dominant populations (re: people of color, queer, disabled, women and gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and trans people) cannot persuade others to assist them in securing what they need. This binary model fosters a harmful either/or mindset: one either has power or does not.

Seeing power as socially constructed allows us to view it as expandable and shareable. Community organizing and coalition-building can create new, collaborative forms of power, promoting social justice for all. Interest Convergence shows that aligning the interests of dominant and marginalized groups can expand and equitably distribute power. This framework challenges zero-sum thinking by showing that progress for marginalized groups does not come at the expense of dominant groups.

Because of the perils of the illusory truth effect—where we begin to believe false information is correct merely because it is repeated—we can start to construct a reality of power that portrays social justice as a competition. This method maintains social inequity by competing for power, bypassing the need for collaboration or communal power [ 33 , 37 ]. We neglect the tools and trainings—power mapping, community organizing, strategic alliances and partnerships, social media campaigns, narrative and framing techniques, crowdfunding and resource mobilization, volunteer networks, digital advocacy, grassroots lobbying, and coalition building—that instruct us on how to achieve this, which demonstrate the evidence and legacy of how to build power out of nothing [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. We forfeit power by adopting a scarcity mindset, overlooking our social work education.

4.5 Zero-sum implications

For example, many White liberal social workers adhere to biological essentialism, which asserts that racial identities dictate behaviors and capabilities [ 41 ]. This philosophy suggests White individuals are inherently racist and are therefore intrinsically incapable of addressing race and racism. This makes change or justice seem unattainable [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. White people will always win: zero-sum. Such a stance not only simplifies complex racial dynamics but also ignores the diversity within White communities. Casting racial dynamics as a rigid power battle, where White people monopolize authority, cultivates zero-sum ideologies. This view ignores Interest Convergence and sees power as a limited resource to be reallocated, rather than a socially constructed concept that can be expanded and equitably distributed.

4.6 Misconceptions

Table 1 catalogs how zero-sum thinking and distorted views of power have created a wide array of biases, assumptions, and misconceptions within anti-racism work. It shows us how far we have strayed from recognizing the power of Interest Convergence to creating social change.

The Table begins with the prevalent assumption (#1) that all White individuals are inherently racist or uniformly benefit from racial privilege. This view ignores individual complexities like socioeconomic status, education, and personal values. Additionally, it challenges the way of thinking (#2) that White people cannot comprehend or tackle racism by ourselves, highlighting the significance of both individual efforts and collective action in addressing racism. The table also draws attention to the diversity within White communities, revealing a wide spectrum of (#4) awareness and engagement with racial issues. It demonstrates that White individuals can make significant contributions to collective liberation efforts (#5), countering the myth of our ineffectiveness or non-involvement. By questioning the assumption that White people are excluded from responsibility (#3) and the one-directional impact of racism (#7), Table  1 advocates for the possibility of change and fluid power dynamics inherent in CRT’s social construction thesis [ 27 ].

Table 1 examines misconceptions about White individuals and clarifies how these perceptions impact social workers' actions and inactions. By adhering to the flawed zero-sum paradigm, we overly focus on interventions, often neglecting a holistic approach to prevent White supremacy.

4.7 Reverse racism

For many White people, zero-sum thinking aligns with 'reverse racism'—power being taken from and redistributed from White people [ 42 , 43 , 56 , 57 ]. Many scholars in the helping professions maintain that reverse racism does not—and cannot—exist. This stance is supported by key arguments: (1) reverse racism misunderstands discrimination and racism, (2) ignores historical context and power dynamics, (3) misinterprets discrimination dynamics, (4) denies racial privileges, (5) misunderstands affirmative action, and (6) neglects evidence of White advantages. [ 58 , 59 ].

However, a 2017 report revealed that 55% of White respondents believed that racism against White people exists [ 60 ]. In 2020, data from FiveThirtyEight showed that 73% of Republicans, 38% of independents, and 22% of Democrats shared this belief [ 61 ]. Public figures like Elon Musk and Scott Adams have propagated these narratives, indicating growing acceptance of reverse racism among White individuals [ 62 ]. This data shows an interest by White people to acknowledge racism against White people in contemporary American culture despite the key arguments that maintain it cannot exist.

While some White people fear that systemic racism against White people is emerging as we become a racial minority, it is important to focus on creating equitable systems that prevent any form of systemic oppression. This demographic shift is part of the natural progression of society in the US and is projected to occur within the next two decades. However, this change will not happen suddenly; we are already in the transitional phase. White nationalist groups have weaponized this notion and propagated The Great Replacement Theory, suggesting that White individuals in the US are experiencing systematic displacement and eradication [ 63 ]. This conspiracy has been cited in the manifestos of mass shootings at the Christchurch Mosque in New Zealand and Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in 2019; the Squirrel Hill synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2018; and the Tops Supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York, in 2022 [ 64 ].

Even if textbook definitions do not support the existence of reverse racism, many White people believe it exists. Ignoring this belief can have deadly consequences, as evidenced by these violent acts. We must also recognize our unintentional role in fostering dangerous narratives due to a disconnect between our theory and practice concerning White people. For instance, children born between 2008 and 2016, who grew up during Barack Obama's presidency, will experience Donald Trump as their first president who is White. This shift in experience underscores the evolving nature of our language, demographics, societal experiences, and the importance of updating our social definitions accordingly. As social workers, it is imperative that our practices reflect these changes to effectively serve our communities.

4.8 The intervention vs. prevention binary

A second oversight in social work's fight against White supremacy is the false dichotomy between intervention and prevention. Effectively addressing systemic racism in social work requires a nuanced understanding of intervention and prevention strategies. Balancing intervention—challenging oppressive systems [ 65 , 66 ]—with prevention—eliminating conditions that obstruct optimal social functioning [ 67 , 68 , 69 ]—is essential. CRT’s principle of Interest Convergence can guide this balance by identifying common interests supporting immediate interventions and long-term preventive measures. We must see these approaches as complementary, with a focus on preventive measures. Like addressing a flood, we need to aid survivors and construct a dam to stop future occurrences.

However, efforts to shift social work culture toward prevention often go unheeded [ 70 ]. If we understand White supremacy as a problem White people have created, then preventing White supremacy means working with White people. As reported by Guidestar, the database of registered nonprofits in the US, the majority of organizations working within community and economic development, education, human rights, and human services are explicitly working with Black (29%), Latin@ (20.6%), Native (16.1%), Multi-Racial (15.4%), and Asian (11.2%) populations [ 71 ]. While these organizations play a crucial role in supporting marginalized communities, the limited focus of nonprofits working explicitly with White people—only 3.7%—highlights a significant gap. Without addressing the population that perpetuates White supremacy, it can feel unpreventable, leading to misconceptions about its inevitability.

Effectively combating White supremacy in social work requires a balanced approach that integrates both intervention and prevention strategies. Viewing these methods as complementary enables us to address immediate harms while eliminating the conditions that allow systemic racism to persist. While prioritizing preventive measures is essential, we must also recognize the necessity of immediate interventions to challenge oppressive systems and support those affected. Currently, many efforts overlook the principle of Interest Convergence, focusing more on harm reduction than on reducing harm itself. By aligning our strategies, we can more properly attune our praxis.

4.9 Example: “de-centering Whiteness”

The phrase and practice of “de-centering Whiteness” has become common in the US [ 32 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ]. De-centering is generally known as the process of moving away from treating White cultural norms, values, and perspectives as the default or standard in our literature, classrooms, and staff meetings throughout the helping professions. However, based on the misconceptions we hold around race and racism (see Table  1 ) White people might feel hesitant to engage in spaces focused on decentering Whiteness due to fears of being labeled or judged, self-doubt about our understanding of racism, and feelings of exclusion from responsibility. Additionally, we may perceive that our contributions are undervalued or that their unique perspectives and experiences are not considered relevant. “De-centering” then becomes internalized as code for shutting down or tuning out White people. People of color are centered; White people are de-centered: zero-sum. There is no talk of co-centering. Often, it’s these spaces that profess to support CRT who are suddenly fumbling one of its core principles (re: Interest Convergence). Ironically, by getting White people to stop talking about Whiteness the interests of Republicans and conservative movements to stifle race-related conversations are inadvertently supported in liberal spaces [ 76 , 77 , 78 ].

Centering leadership from marginalized groups while holding White individuals accountable for most of the work can be seen as an attempt to manufacture Interest Convergence. This well-intentioned strategy risks reducing White individuals' agency to mere compliance rather than active participation, leading to superficial engagement that lacks genuine understanding and long-term commitment to racial justice. Moreover, this approach can inadvertently reinforce zero-sum thinking by implying that the empowerment of people of color necessitates the disempowerment of White individuals. Instead, a more effective strategy would involve co-creating spaces where White people and people of color can lead and collaborate, recognizing the unique contributions and responsibilities of each group. This balanced approach aligns with the principles of Interest Convergence by ensuring that the interests of all parties are considered and integrated into the collective effort to dismantle systemic racism.

Over the past decade, many North American classrooms, conferences, and social service providers have shifted toward 'De-Centering Whiteness.' While the goal is to de-center Whitenormativity, current literature suggests removing White people from these conversations [ 32 ]. Literature shows that when White people enter race and racism conversations, we often feel poorly informed, miseducated, or uneasy. Our involvement decreases, and we anticipate that Indigenous, Latin@, Black, and Asian people will fill the silence, teach, and lead [ 48 , 72 , 74 ]. This often places an undue burden on people of color to lead and educate. This dynamic creates an escape for White people from engaging meaningfully in intergroup dialogues [ 75 ].

In social work, misinterpreting 'de-centering' Whiteness fosters a belief in zero-sum equity—that making space for marginalized groups means taking space from White individuals [ 56 ]. A recent journal example illustrates this by advocating for inclusivity while suggesting the education system 'de-emphasize' Whiteness, reflecting a counterproductive shift toward zero-sum thinking. What is more: White people do not have to internally stop ourselves from showing up, because other well-intentioned White people are already telling us to sit down and not speak.

The flawed approach that elevating marginalized voices requires silencing White voices reinforces the erroneous belief that White perspectives on racism are fixed, ignoring the fluid nature of racial interactions. This, coupled with increasing societal segregation, raises vital questions about our collective liberation and the importance of mutual accountability among all racial demographics [ 79 , 80 ].

Interest Convergence suggests that efforts to prevent White supremacist structures—like de-centering Whiteness or avoiding race discussions—hinder collective progress. Instead of removing White voices from the conversation, Interest Convergence advocates for a balanced approach where the interests of both White individuals and marginalized groups are aligned. Involving White people in race-based initiatives can bridge understanding and foster collective action toward systemic change. Overlooking the role of White individuals in addressing systemic racism by failing to acknowledge the impact of race only serves to preserve the structures we are seeking to change.

This oversight underscores the need for careful integration of CWS and CRT within social work.

Implementing Interest Convergence in social work invites us to collaboratively confront and address systemic racism. This collaboration is central to both CRT and effective social work practice, challenging us to move beyond binary perspectives of intervention and prevention toward true inclusivity and accountability.

5 Critical Whiteness Studies

Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) explores Whiteness as a social construct and its implications across cultural, historical, and institutional contexts [ 6 , 81 ]. Scholars from various disciplines contribute to CWS by examining the origins, manifestations, and privileges of White people. It is crucial to examine Whiteness itself, rather than taking it for granted. This involves questioning how Whiteness is constructed, maintained, and contested, and understanding its role in systemic racism. CWS's mission is evident in its engagement with CRT, aiming to prevent oppressive systems and encourage ethical practices that address race and power complexities. By understanding how Whiteness operates within social work and other fields, we can identify and address the unique stresses, such as Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress (PITS) and moral injury, thereby facilitating more authentic engagement for our collective liberation.

5.1 Liberalism and CWS

Since 68.8% of social workers in the US are White and operate within Western Liberalism's political and moral framework, this paper uses Critical Race Theory's Critique of Liberalism along with CWS [ 28 ]. The Critique of Liberalism argues that the ideas of individualism, equality, and freedom in classical liberalism can hide systemic racial injustices [ 82 ]. For decades, the anti-racism movement has relied on the narrative that education is the answer to injustice: if we know better, we do better. However, recent data shows that support for Black Lives Matter has declined, and many believe race relations have not improved [ 83 ]. Addressing these issues through CWS is essential for social work. It underscores the need for something deeper with concrete actions to prevent systemic injustices, moving beyond mere education and awareness.

5.2 Mental health needs of White liberals

When White people realize that our beliefs in liberalism clash with systemic racial injustices, we have a spectrum of emotional responses, including cognitive dissonance, guilt, shame, emotional exhaustion, and identity crises. In 2020, at the height of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism, only 11.2% of White people received counseling or therapy at least once from a mental health professional [ 84 ]. This suggests that seeking mental health support was not a widespread response—or financially viable—among White people, even amidst a global health crisis and civil unrest. Stigmas around mental health are still quite high [ 85 ], which may contribute to this low percentage. Therefore, when White people do seek mental health support, it is crucial to use skilled interventions to address these emotional responses and prevent these responses from reinforcing White supremacy.

This paper advocates addressing the mental health needs of White liberals as a strategy to prevent the perpetuation of White supremacy. This argument is supported by the works of Baldwin [ 2 ], Morrison [ 86 ], and Menakem [ 87 ], who highlight racism as a manifestation of White people’s troubled relationship with mental health. Central to this discussion is exploring guilt and shame among White social work students, a common thread in recent studies [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. By addressing these mental health challenges, we can better equip White people to engage in collective liberation work without being hindered by emotional barriers, ultimately contributing to the prevention of systemic racism.

5.3 Guilt and shame

Guilt and shame, while related, influence self-concept and self-esteem differently. Guilt is transient, triggered by wrongdoing (re: 'I did something bad'), offering a pathway to rectification [ 91 , 92 ]. Shame, however, is more enduring, entailing a deeper internalization of fault (re: 'I am bad'), which can significantly hinder personal and professional growth. As White people become more aware of racial privilege and systemic racism, we often experience these emotions. Understanding these emotions through lived experiences is essential for navigating discussions on race and racism. However, color-blind and post-racial approaches can exacerbate or dismiss these feelings, denying the need for systemic reform. Therefore, developing a positive White racial identity requires acknowledging the emotional landscape of being White [ 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ], particularly in the dynamics between guilt and shame.

5.4 White guilt

White guilt, emerging from the 1960s liberation movements, has evolved, resulting in diverse viewpoints on preventing racism today [ 50 , 97 ]. White guilt is the remorse some White people feel when we recognize racial injustices and how our race protects us from these injustices. Research around trust and self-worth offers valuable insight into White guilt. While cultivating a robust moral compass is beneficial [ 98 , 99 ]—particularly for middle-class White people—feelings of White guilt can hinder our ability to trust ourselves and have positive self-worth. This highlights the importance of addressing White guilt for societal progress and individual well-being [ 100 , 101 ].

Moreover, this overwhelming sense of guilt can lead White individuals to believe that we are incapable of leading or co-leading anti-racism work. Current social justice narratives suggest that White individuals cannot prevent White supremacy without the leadership of people of color [ 102 , 103 , 104 ]. This perspective emphasizes the importance of centering the experiences and leadership of people of color in anti-racism initiatives. However, it is sometimes misinterpreted as suggesting that only people of color should lead these efforts [ 49 , 105 ] (See Table  1 , misconceptions 8 through 10). Such misinterpretations can lead to the simplistic belief that White people are always guilty of wanting to maintain White supremacy, which makes it hard to believe we can fight against it effectively.

High-profile incidents like the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Breonna Taylor have ignited a racial awakening among many White people, with the Black Lives Matter movement keeping this dialogue at the forefront [ 106 , 107 , 108 ]. The enduring presence of the Black Lives Matter movement, highlighting police brutality, has made it difficult for many White people to ignore these issues. From 2016 to 2019, the Pew Research Center observed a 50% increase in White people recognizing racial discrimination [ 109 ]. By the decade’s end, a majority of White Americans (55%) acknowledged that racial discrimination was occurring in the US. The escalation of conversations surrounding race, racism, Whitenormativity, and White supremacy across various platforms, including the Super Bowl Halftime Show [ 110 ], housekeeping magazines aimed at suburban mothers [ 111 ], and children's networks like Nickelodeon, which aired an eight-minute and forty-six-second tribute to George Floyd [ 112 ], has brought racism, from interpersonal to systemic, into the limelight of national discourse.

This widespread exposure to discussions of racism has influenced White American culture and profoundly affected our collective consciousness. Against this backdrop, White Americans' understanding of our role in a racially structured society has begun to unravel. This confrontation with explicit racism and the realization of complicity in systemic injustice has led to what some describe as “moral injury” among White liberals, affecting deeply held moral values and beliefs.

5.5 Moral injury and perpetration-induced traumatic stress

Moral injury, initially associated with traumatic experiences like warfare, has found increasing relevance in racial discourse [ 48 , 113 , 114 ]. It arises when individuals experience, witness, or fail to prevent actions that contradict their moral beliefs and expectations. This contradiction leads to profound psychological distress, characterized by guilt, shame, disgust, anger, struggles with self-forgiveness, and changes in behavior, relationships, and spirituality. It may also include feelings of betrayal by leaders or peers [ 115 , 116 ]. This construct can emerge as White people confront our involvement in a racist system, particularly when viewed through the Critique of Liberalism [ 42 , 45 , 49 ]. Depending on the perceived severity of the racist act, moral injury often manifests as feelings associated with White guilt [ 113 , 114 ]. Prolonged engagement with guilt-like thoughts can exacerbate stress, potentially leading to a state of emotional paralysis; being stuck.

Research on perpetration-induced traumatic stress (PITS), initially applied to combat veterans and executioners [ 117 , 118 ], now extends to White populations grappling with this emotional paralysis or "stuckness" [ 48 , 113 ]. At the heart of PITS is the struggle to transcend the discomfort of moral injury, marked by continuous distressing memories and psychological distress [ 119 ]. This traumatic stress is characterized by persistent avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and negative changes in cognition and mood. PITS takes the concept of moral injury one step further by internalizing the conflict—transitioning from "I have done something bad" to "I am bad," which reflects the shift from guilt to shame.

Given the recent emergence of PITS, moral injury, White shame, and White guilt in both academic and public discourse [ 48 , 90 , 120 ], it is important to clarify that these terms are often used interchangeably. However, moral injury is more closely related to White guilt, while PITS is more aligned with White shame. Each term represents a deeper psychological impact, compounding the initial trauma with self-condemnation.

5.6 Emotional impact of White shame and guilt on anti-racist efforts

Two recent studies have examined the issue of White shame's impact on our collective liberation from White supremacy, yielding insightful findings. The first study, conducted in 2019 by Grzanka, Frantell, and Fassinger [ 120 ], explore the relationship between emotions and attitudes toward racism among White people. It found that White shame was weakly and negatively correlated with racist attitudes, suggesting that higher levels of such shame do not inherently lead to reduced racist views. In contrast, White guilt was strongly associated with rejecting racist attitudes, indicating that guilt might be a more effective motivator for White individuals to adopt anti-racist perspectives. The study suggests that emotional responses to racism, particularly guilt, can be leveraged in educational and social initiatives to encourage deeper anti-racist commitments. This insight suggests focusing on guilt rather than inducing shame to interrupt and interrogate racist attitudes within White communities.

The second study by Brock-Petroshius, Garcia-Perez, Gross, and Abrams found that shame was significantly linked with fewer anti-racist behaviors than colorblind attitudes [ 90 ]. This finding suggests that White shame acts as a considerable obstacle to engaging in anti-racist actions. Although the research team did not identify a significant relationship between guilt and anti-racist behaviors, they acknowledged the existence of a positive relationship. This underlines the need for interventions to help White MSW students manage feelings of shame or guilt from reduced colorblind attitudes and highlights the importance of reducing White shame and promoting anti-racist actions. Shame can inhibit anti-racist activities despite a deeper understanding of racism and a solid intent to engage in anti-racist actions. Interestingly, more respondents said they felt higher levels of shame compared to empathy or guilt, even though the average score for shame was similar to that of guilt. The self-perception of shame among respondents is notably higher than that of empathy or guilt. This discrepancy highlights the personal impact and potentially more profound experience of shame, suggesting it may significantly influence behaviors or attitudes.

These studies suggest that while White guilt might motivate anti-racist perspectives, without careful management, White guilt could potentially lead to White shame, which does not inherently reduce racist views [ 90 , 120 ]. These findings highlight the need for interventions to guide White individuals through guilt-related experiences and away from the paralyzing effects of shame, enabling meaningful actions towards our collective liberation.

5.7 White Shame Culture

White Shame Culture, a feature of contemporary White liberalism, arises from the acknowledgment of racial privilege and the perpetuation of White supremacy. It is characterized by pervasive feelings of shame related to racial identity, fueled by social justice discourses that often frame racial equity as a zero-sum competition. This culture is marked by a lack of positive White racial identity formation and resistance to transformative practices aimed at achieving collective liberation. White Shame Culture is rampant with untreated moral injury and Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress (PITS), often disguised as the "Good White Person" complex [ 44 ], where individuals strive to be seen as morally superior without addressing underlying issues. Understanding White Shame Culture involves examining its systemic manifestations, which extend beyond individual anxieties to influence group norms, values, and traditions. Addressing this culture requires proactive racial justice measures and educational initiatives that transform shame into constructive action, fostering a positive and equitable racial identity.

For example, the term "Karen" exemplifies societal entitlements and racial insensitivity [ 121 ], causing anxiety among White women about public shaming and social ostracization [ 122 , 123 , 124 ]. While some women do exhibit 'Karen' behaviors (re: entitled, often territorial policing, racially insensitive), the misappropriation of the term outside of these behaviors helps to perpetuate White Shame Culture, making it difficult for White women to build a positive identity around their Whiteness. CRT and CWS stress introspection and fostering positive White identities as key steps toward equity [ 27 , 81 , 87 ].

Furthermore, social justice literature advises White individuals to brace for potential isolation from other White people and possible rejection from communities of color, contributing to heightened internalized guilt among White liberals [ 42 , 125 , 126 , 127 ]. Public shaming and social ostracization, intertwined with the fear of isolation, underscore pervasive anxiety among White individuals as we confront our racial identities, transforming personal guilt into communal and internal shame.

To mitigate this shame, some White individuals downplay or conceal our racial identity, adopt cultural markers of other groups, sidestep discussions on White-specific topics, or use pseudonyms and avatars online [ 128 , 129 ]. This effect, distinct from cultural appropriation, often results in White individuals tokenizing academics and artists of color, frequently out of context, as a performative act of anti-racism [ 130 ]. This can also look like White people having a pronounced lack of patience and empathy for other White people or claiming expertise on the experiences of people of color. These behaviors, a form of credentialing to be received as a “Good White Person” [ 131 ], mirror the chameleon effect, critiqued by CRT and CWS as performative, indicating a need for authentic engagement with racial matters beyond superficial actions.

Paradoxically, these external stressors, expectations of rejection, internalized stigma, and identity concealment align with Minority Stress Theory (MST), initially designed to understand stressors faced by marginalized groups [ 132 ]. Increasingly prevalent among White liberals, these characteristics underscore the emergence of MST-like experiences, signaling a need for understanding and supportive mental-health measures for White people struggling with PITS.

Exploring these emotional dynamics and behavioral patterns through CRT and CWS unveils the intricate web of White guilt and shame and emphasizes moving beyond performative gestures toward our collective liberation. This deep-seated anxiety, shared across the political spectrum, highlights the reach of White supremacy and shame—and the need to transform the norms, values, and traditions that maintain it within liberal settings. Addressing the psychological impact of these dynamics is paramount in preventing White supremacy and fostering environments conducive to introspection and meaningful action.

While anti-racism work has traditionally focused on the implications of White supremacy for populations of color [ 133 , 134 , 135 ], it is equally critical to address the escalating racialized anxiety within White populations. As Charles notes, "White America could not perpetrate five hundred years of dehumanizing injustice without traumatizing itself” [ 113 ]. By integrating insights from the Critique of Liberalism, CWS, moral injury, and PITS, we achieve a nuanced understanding of White Shame Culture and its ramifications, advocating for informed dialogues and collective efforts toward racial equity and the work necessary to prevent White supremacy at individual and systemic levels.

6 Applications for social work

The application of CWS and CRT in social work is crucial to effectively address systemic racism. Group work is a pivotal strategy in this endeavor [ 136 ], highlighting the importance of interpersonal relationships and individual commitments in shaping and transforming the systems and institutions we navigate. Reflective and transformative approaches, which involve continuous self-assessment and adaptation in practice, are essential in social work education and practice. These approaches enable the identification and correction of ingrained prejudices, fostering genuine understanding and collective liberation.

White social work practitioners face unique challenges, including negative emotions and mistrust towards our coworkers, which can hinder collaborative efforts. Addressing anti-White bias, alongside other forms of bias, and promoting empathy are vital steps in cultivating an inclusive environment where all individuals can contribute meaningfully to the fight against White supremacy. By integrating these insights and acknowledging the diverse perspectives within the field, social workers can play an instrumental role in leading our collective liberation.

6.1 Group work

A significant tool to prevent White supremacy lies in our ability to work with groups. Intergroup dialogue, as outlined by Bohm [ 137 ], is an exceptionally well-crafted tool to meet this moment. Bohm explains that dialogue involves participants openly sharing their thoughts and experiences, which helps everyone gain a clearer understanding and work together more effectively. Dialogue is not merely a conversation where we wait for our turn to speak; it requires us to actively listen and truly understand the other person's perspective before considering how our own views align or differ. In a dialogue, there is no attempt to win. The zero-sum mindset is avoided. Instead, everybody wins if anybody wins. This collective spirit is vital for genuine collaboration and preventing systemic issues like White supremacy.

Combating White supremacy relies on group work that improves interpersonal relationships and acknowledges individual contributions. As Toseland and Rivas find [ 136 ], group work nurtures the socio-emotional needs of individuals and the group. Since group work is mandated by the Council on Social Work Education [ 138 ], we must hold ourselves accountable for not fully utilizing this powerful tool effectively in the fight against White supremacy. By critically examining and reflecting on our group work practices, we can identify and correct ingrained prejudices, fostering genuine understanding and actions toward our collective liberation.

While some perspectives in social work focus on racism as a macro-level problem inherent in systemic and institutional discrimination, it is crucial to consider the influence of individual and collective values and morals in shaping these systems and institutions. We must stop thinking of systems and institutions as amorphous, wandering behemoths. Policies and laws are simply the morals and values of a group of people.

Interpersonal relationships and individual commitments are crucial for group work in preventing White supremacy. However, some White social work practitioners may harbor negative emotions toward our White counterparts, including frustration and mistrust, as observed in certain contexts. These feelings are often borne out in classrooms [ 139 ], professional forums [ 140 ], and social media comment sections of many social work organizations. Many social workers recognize that historical contributions by White individuals have played a significant role in shaping contemporary societal issues. Contributions to oppressive ideologies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries can still shape contemporary dynamics, fueling mistrust toward White colleagues, especially White, straight, cisgender men [ 121 , 141 , 142 ].

6.2 Addressing anti-White bias

Despite social work’s efforts to address racism and White supremacy over the past fifty years [ 143 , 144 , 145 ], some White people feel devalued and discriminated against in social work curricula [ 88 , 146 ]. As of 2017, White students are now underrepresented in higher education, with significant decreases in Ivy League schools, the University of California system, and a 31.49% decrease of enrollment at major institutions since 1980 [ 147 ]. Within classrooms, many White students argue that coursework overlooks anti-White bias and induces guilt or discomfort about our racial identity [ 88 ]. Cases like the Ontario school principal who took his own life after being accused of White supremacist behavior during a training session—led by a social worker—for public educators highlight the emotional toll such discussions can take, notably when adequate support is lacking [ 148 , 149 ]. These practices highlight how disconnected social work has become from our best practices for social change and adherence to the NASW Code of Ethics in our anti-racism work [ 150 ].

Many articles, publications, and media on White supremacy for White audiences emphasize White privilege. While this is an important aspect, it creates a single-story narrative of Whiteness. Very little is said about the ways White people are negatively impacted—directly and indirectly—by White supremacy. However, the work of scholars like Todd Jealous and Haskell [ 47 ], Brock-Petroshius [ 90 ], Grzanka [ 120 ], Lensmire [ 52 ], Spanierman [ 151 ], Burnett [ 50 ], Charles [ 113 ], and Grishow-Schade [ 114 ], and the insights from the Spillway [ 48 ], highlight the importance of our collective role in understanding this issue. These authors reveal the paradox of being White in contemporary U.S. culture, where we are both perpetrators and victims of White supremacy. This perspective calls for active involvement, stressing the need to complicate the narrative that White people only have positive and privileged racialized experiences.

Even though research shows the inefficacy of inducing guilt, shame, and discomfort about racial identity [ 90 , 120 ], social workers have continued to use these approaches. However, in a profession built on values of service, social justice, dignity, and integrity [ 143 ], we must question whether these methods truly benefit White racial identity development and strengthen the relationships needed for group work. Sustainable growth is challenging amidst emotional dysregulation [ 152 ], as it can hinder our ability to adhere to our Code of Ethics. Therefore, fostering emotional attunement and empathy is essential for constructive dialogue and ethical practice. Change needs empathy.

Feelings of hostility or mistrust toward White people from various racialized communities can be understood from a psychological, emotional, and somatic perspective [ 153 , 154 ]. These communities have borne the brunt of racism, impacting their relationship to White culture and White people. However, similar emotional responses among White social workers toward other White people need a different analytical lens. By adopting the CWS framework, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding the presumption of guilt among White social workers by White social workers. It also provides tools to navigate and mitigate these feelings, enhancing the effectiveness of social work across diverse racial and ethnic contexts and preventing White supremacy. This dynamic of White people harboring negative feelings toward other White people can also be seen as profitable within the context of the Nonprofit Industrial Complex (NPIC), which underscores the financial motivations behind these emotional responses.

6.3 The Nonprofit Industrial Complex

Financial sustainability in social service nonprofits often depends on external funding rather than clients paying for services. The NPIC highlights the dynamics among nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private funders, showing how reliance on external funding can divert social movements from their core objectives and create caution in confronting harmful practices by funders due to fear of losing financial support [ 155 ].

The NPIC tends to fund intervention services over preventative measures, showing a bias for immediate solutions over addressing root causes. This bias is evident in child welfare, where only 11 percent of funds are directed toward preventative efforts, underscoring the constraints of the current funding landscape [ 156 ].

Smith critiques the 501(c)(3) model [ 157 ], which many social justice organizations adopt to secure tax-deductible donations and foundation grants. This model can co-opt movements, forcing them to conform to the priorities of funders rather than their communities. The NPIC promotes a social movement culture that is non-collaborative, narrowly focused, and competitive—re: zero-sum, Liberalism—often stifling genuine activism and innovation.

The NPIC's competitive nature forces groups to vie for limited resources, often promoting their work at the expense of broader coalition-building. This competition can dilute the focus on systemic change and maintain the status quo. This liberal approach often prioritizes incremental change and personal achievements rather than addressing systemic inequalities through group efforts. By focusing on individual success, the NPIC undermines the power of collective action and solidarity, which are essential for achieving true social justice. Foundations, while providing temporary relief, can mask underlying issues like White supremacy, as they often prefer funding projects that do not challenge systemic inequalities.

Spade advocates for a paradigm shift in the NPIC toward prevention-focused strategies that address the root causes of marginalization and oppression [ 158 ]. Drawing inspiration from public health successes like anti-smoking campaigns, Spade emphasizes that balancing immediate interventions with long-term preventative measures is crucial. Combining insights from INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence—who wrote the seminal guide to the NPIC [ 155 ]—with Spade there exists a profound transformation required in funding strategies centered on racial equity. This reform aims to support individual and group efforts necessary for systemic change, ensuring a fairer distribution of financial resources and promoting sustainable change [ 155 , 156 , 159 ].

Recent research from the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity reveals that nonprofits received $4.47 billion in race-related funding in 2020 alone [ 160 ]. Further analysis shows that foundations, funds, and trusts provided $111.58 billion for race-focused initiatives in education, health, human rights, and social rights from 2003 to 2021. Of this, only 0.49% ($557 million) was allocated for initiatives serving "people of European descent." Through the lens of CRT and CWS, this is less than half a cent of every dollar spent on race-related funding for preventative actions.

Thus, how we think about our work—considering power dynamics, Liberalism, zero-sum thinking, and the balance between prevention and intervention—greatly influences our funding strategies. To address these challenges, it is crucial to explore alternative resources and strategies that prioritize prevention over short-term interventions. Informed by CRT and CWS praxis, this shift toward preventative paradigms is vital for our funding streams. By focusing on preventive measures, we can better address the root causes of social issues, ensuring our efforts lead to sustainable change. This strategy aligns with our mission to promote social justice, challenges the systemic constraints of the NPIC, and advocates for a more equitable distribution of financial resources, ultimately reimagining how social work can meet the needs of all communities.

7 Preventing systemic racism

Integrating CWS and CRT within social work is fundamental to effectively addressing systemic racism. Group work is a pivotal strategy, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal relationships and individual commitments in transforming our systems and institutions. Reflective and transformative approaches enable the identification and correction of ingrained prejudices, fostering genuine understanding and collective liberation. Intergroup dialogue and critical examination of group work practices can enhance collaboration and mitigate systemic issues like White supremacy.

Secondly, White social work practitioners face unique challenges, including anti-White bias, negative emotions, and White Shame Culture that can hinder collaboration. Addressing these biases and promoting empathy, an essential quality in our work, are vital for creating an inclusive environment.

Lastly, the Nonprofit Industrial Complex (NPIC) presents additional challenges, often prioritizing intervention over prevention. However, a shift towards prevention-focused strategies that address root causes, informed by CRT and CWS, is beneficial and urgent for sustainable change and social justice.

Maintaining momentum in these efforts can be challenging. As Mondros and Wilson observed [ 161 ], participation often declines after initial enthusiasm peaks. To counter this, it is crucial to focus on factors that encourage long-term engagement, such as emphasizing the group's impact, building a supportive community, maintaining a strong interest in tasks, and recognizing every member's contribution.

By focusing on these aspects, especially within the context of White social workers, we enhance individual accountability and strengthen interpersonal relationships. This approach fosters a resilient and committed community ready to tackle and prevent systemic racism through evidence-based practices in group work, aiming to root out deep-seated prejudices that fuel racial inequities.

Ultimately, embracing reflective, group-based efforts and shifting towards collective, community-focused liberation will pave the way for a social justice environment where ideals are actively pursued and realized. Social workers must adopt these principles to foster a more equitable and just profession, ensuring that our efforts lead to meaningful and sustainable change.

7.1 How we start

The transformation toward preventative work in social services requires social workers across nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and funding bodies to address pivotal areas. This task necessitates a profound understanding of the intersection of racism and mental health, specifically among White individuals.

First and foremost, it is essential to recognize the diversity within White populations. Being White does not equate to uniform experiences or perspectives. Social workers must comprehend the unique racial experiences and perceptions of White individuals, debunking common misconceptions about homogeneity within this group. By acknowledging this diversity, we can tailor our approaches to be more effective and sensitive to individual experiences.

Facilitating intergroup dialogue is another critical aspect. Dialogues about systemic racism often stir feelings of guilt and shame. Social workers can provide spaces for constructive intergroup dialogue, mitigating feelings of isolation and potential radicalization. These dialogues can help bridge gaps in understanding and foster a sense of community and shared responsibility in addressing racism.

Implementing trauma-informed approaches is integral to promoting understanding and preventing racism. Social workers need to acknowledge the unique stresses that White individuals might experience like PITS, moral injury, and MST. Trauma-informed approaches can support these individuals in their journey toward healing, helping us understand and combat the roots of racism within ourselves and our communities.

Debunking misconceptions about race, racism, and White supremacy is a critical role for social workers (See Table 1 ). Challenging harmful stereotypes and assumptions fosters a nuanced understanding of these complex issues. By promoting accurate and comprehensive views of these topics, we can dismantle the biases that perpetuate systemic racism.

Promoting and building leadership among White individuals in collective liberation work shifts the responsibility of preventing White supremacy away from marginalized populations who are most impacted by it. Encouraging White people to take initiative allows for respect for each group's unique healing and restoration paths from a place of lived experience. This shift is essential for fostering a collective commitment to social justice.

Advocating for transparency through open and honest discussions about racialized harm and trauma is necessary for healing. Social workers should offer resources to help White individuals understand our role in systemic racism and White Shame Culture. These discussions can pave the way for greater awareness and responsibility in addressing racial harm.

Practicing empathy is crucial in these efforts. Understanding that everyone is at different stages in comprehending race and racism can facilitate more productive interventions. Some White individuals are firmly rooted in White Shame Culture, some traverse between Shame and Supremacy Cultures depending on their context, and others actively seek a return to explicit forms of White supremacy. By meeting individuals where they are, social workers can guide ourselves and other White people more effectively toward greater awareness and action.

Group work plays a significant role in addressing contemporary systemic and institutional racism. Often, the failure to tackle the policies, practices, and values of groups and organizations perpetuates these issues. The key to systems change is merely group work. Even the largest companies in the world do not have more than 12 people on their board of directors. Collaborative efforts are essential for driving significant change.

Lastly, reforming funding strategies to prioritize preventive measures over short-term interventions is critical. By addressing the root causes of societal issues and promoting sustainable, equitable social change within the NPIC framework, we can create long-lasting impacts. Investing in prevention work is essential for fostering a more just and equitable society.

7.2 Action steps

Provide immediate resources and build emotional resilience : offer accessible resources that support immediate needs, such as crisis hotlines, counseling services, and support groups. Build emotional resilience by creating spaces for emotional expression and open discussions without fear of judgment, such as community workshops and peer support circles.

Promote anti-racist actions : engage in meaningful conversations about race and racism, especially with those who may not share your views. If everyone in the room has the same definition of justice, it’s not a diverse space [ 162 ]. Approach these conversations with compassion, patience, empathy, and understanding. For example, organize intergroup dialogues that foster new relationships.

Create healing affinity spaces : develop and maintain healing spaces that allow for personal growth and deeper understanding within affinity groups. Examples include dedicated rooms in community centers for reflective practices, online support groups, and retreats focused on racial healing and identity exploration.

Encourage reflective practices : promote introspective activities such as reflective journaling, meditation, or self-assessment exercises. These practices help individuals organize and deeply understand our thoughts and experiences, fostering personal growth. Provide resources like guided journals, online meditation sessions, and self-assessment tools while being mindful to reflect on more than only our privileges.

Leverage technology for engagement : utilize online platforms and social media to facilitate the exploration of racial identity and intergroup dynamics. Choose the medium that best supports individual learning and engagement styles. Examples include virtual discussion groups, webinars, and interactive educational platforms.

Shift accountability to include all parties : ensure accountability mechanisms consider the needs of those harmed, those who caused harm, and their communities. Accountability should validate humanity while enabling behavior correction. Implement restorative justice practices that involve all parties in the accountability process.

Build community support : foster community building through local meetups, online forums, or social media groups. These communities offer support and foster meaningful relationships grounded in compassion and empathy. Examples include organizing neighborhood potlucks, creating online discussion groups, and hosting community-building events. Consider a support group for people in White Shame Culture.

Understand the difference between shame and guilt : educate individuals on the difference between shame ("I am bad") and guilt ("I did something bad"). Effective accountability should avoid reinforcing White Shame Culture. Provide educational workshops and resources that focus on understanding and applying this distinction.

Proactive and reactive approaches : implement both proactive and reactive strategies to heal and prevent harm. This dual approach is essential for sustainable personal and societal change. Examples include preemptive educational campaigns and responsive support services for those affected by racial harm.

8 Conclusion

To address systemic racism and White supremacy, integrating Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) into social work is essential. By examining principles like Interest Convergence and Critique of Liberalism, we can better understand power dynamics and move beyond zero-sum thinking in our approach to racial equity. This paper highlights the importance of supporting White individuals in understanding race by addressing Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress (PITS), moral injury, and White Shame Culture.

Self-reflection is crucial for White people in addressing racism. Morrison [ 86 ] and Baldwin [ 2 ] argue against the idea that people of color should be solely responsible for correcting or leading efforts to undo racial injustices. Menakem, a social worker, extends this argument by insisting that White people must reclaim and redefine Whiteness to embody responsibility and care [ 87 ]. He suggests building communities and supporting White leaders in anti-racism work rather than relying on Black individuals. Fred Jealous further extends this argument, challenging White people embedded in White Shame Culture with a poignant question: "Can you access the truth of your preciousness? And that's the starting place for the discussion. Can you access that? And if you can access that, can you stay there? Use it as a starting place from which to connect to all of life and from which to take a look at where you put your attention with other humans" [ 163 ].

White individuals must take a lead in preventing White supremacy. As demonstrated, these arguments are supported by the concept of Interest Convergence [ 29 , 164 ]. Various racial groups have developed strategies over centuries that meet the emotional, mental, and physical needs of White people, advocating for spaces where White individuals can heal independently—and communally—without interference [ 87 , 165 ]. This paper calls for White individuals to actively engage in collective liberation efforts, emphasizing the importance of internal community engagement before extending these efforts to broader societal interactions.

Integrating CWS offers a novel, preventative strategy to address modern White supremacy. It aims to explore the motivations behind White supremacy without justifications, tone policing, or diminishing the impact on colleagues of color. The ethos of this paper come from Audre Lorde's insight that new tools—compassion, patience, and respect—are essential in dismantling the house of White supremacy [ 166 ].

Social workers play a crucial role in applying an interpersonal approach to systemic racism. Understanding that systems and institutions are groups of individuals, this paper highlights the role of social workers in reflective practice, advocacy for systemic change, and fostering trauma-informed intergroup dialogues. Through these methods, social workers can make significant strides in preventing systemic racism.

This paper envisions a future where social work actively leads efforts toward an equitable and inclusive society. This vision is based on collective efforts, grounded in compassion, understanding, and a commitment to justice. Recognizing that liberation from oppressive systems is best achieved through collaborative efforts, social work must move beyond merely confronting White supremacy. Let’s prevent it.

8.1 Concluding positionality

A key challenge is motivating White social workers to address our racialized mental health needs. Over the years, I have focused on understanding White individuals through a trauma-informed lens. The most formidable challenge has been inspiring White social workers to consistently acknowledge and address our mental health needs related to race. I have experienced firsthand the reluctance of White colleagues—from standing faculty in schools of social work to direct service providers—to confront their racialized fears and insecurities, reflecting the pervasiveness of White Shame Culture in the helping professions. This culture leaves a significant imprint on contemporary social work practice. Confronting and addressing White Shame Culture is crucial for advancing social work toward its true potential. I acknowledge the emotional impact this discussion may have had on you, dear reader. I see you, precious friend. Me, too.

Data availability

This perspective piece primarily discusses and reviews existing literature, puts forward controversial positions or speculative hypotheses, or highlights work from one or a few research groups. Therefore, it does not involve the collection or analysis of original data, which is why this type of article does not include a data set.

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Acknowledgements

My deepest gratitude to Ben Jealous, Ariel Schwartz, Amy Hillier, Jessie Harper, Erin Cross, Jerry Bourjolly, Danna Bodenheimer, Jenny Skinner, Fred Jealous, and Lynn Burnett for their invaluable contributions in reviewing and cultivating the initial ideas of this paper. I am deeply grateful for those who, even in their pain, could only support my work privately. Their struggle with White shame taught me that it can be stronger than love, and that lesson has been profound. For Meade, Elizabeth, and Matthew.

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Grishow-Schade, L. Preventing White supremacy: an applied conceptualization for the helping professions. Discov glob soc 2 , 52 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-024-00084-2

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