White Teachers, White Activists: Anti-racist Work (#1)
I plan to post a number of articles and commentary on the role of white teachers and white activists in this transformative time.
“If you are not prepared to change your thinking, you are not prepared to make real change.”
“The teachers of Black youth must believe in them. They must have faith in them and their community. They must trust them and encourage them and defend them.” W.E.B. Du Bois
The Philadelphia group BAR WE (Building Anti-Racist White Educators) Developed a few key guidelines for white teachers and white activists for approaching anti-racist work.
- White people have a responsibility to work with other white people to build anti-racist identities and practices. It is not the burden of people of color to do that work for us. We can (and should) talk critically about racism and white supremacy, even if there isn’t a person of color in the room.
- True anti-racism training must be ongoing, and it must involve networks to support us in this practice. If we are going to confront racism and white supremacy in our lives and work, we are going to have to get uncomfortable and deeply question long-held beliefs. We’ll need to build and maintain relationships with other folks in the work with us. While one-off implicit bias trainings are a useful step, they are not enough. The work of building identities and practices that push back against white supremacy in our society must be an ongoing process.
- This work must be accountable to the people of color who find themselves targeted by racism on a daily basis. Though we as white people can challenge each other, this work should not and cannot be divorced from the experiences of people of color. We must be open and transparent about this work and these conversations with our colleagues of color.
- Humility must be central to this work. We must learn from and listen to people of color, especially our colleagues and students. We should also approach our work with fellow white educators from the perspective of fellow learners, rather than as experts.
- Talking about racism and white supremacy isn’t enough—conversation alone won’t change the oppressive conditions people of color face daily. However, discussion is an essential part of this work. Anti-blackness is something that we have learned over the course of our lives, and unlearning will take a lot of introspection and conversation. CONTINUE READING: White Teachers, White Activists: Anti-racist Work (#1) | Educate All Students, Support Public Education
