Reads For Good: How to Be Antiracist
Are you sure you’re “not racist”?
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.” -Angela Davis
It would be unfair to say that Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be Antiracist” is more relevant now than ever, as that would erase decades of racism before the likes of George Floyd was all over our Twitter feeds. Yet, as I reached for a copy on the shelf of my local bookstore, I couldn’t help but consider the movements around me and how I may or may not be doing enough to contribute to the fight for racial justice in my own generation. Sure, I retweeted and shared the #BlackLivesMatter posts with all my friends, signed petitions online, and made sure to make my votes count, but how could I really advocate for a community I wasn’t taking time to listen to outside of the Twitter character limit?
Perhaps this confession might bring judgment upon me, but if you’re anything like me, you might look at a book like Kendi’s and long instead for the pretty fiction hardback a few shelves down. A book like this isn’t quite a leisure read. And once again, if you’re anything like me, you might have dragged your feet a little to the register, wondering if you were an awful person for wanting to do good, but not necessarily wanting to commit to reading a whole book on the matter. And yet, as I thought about the tweets I shared, the petitions I signed, I knew there was more I could do. I knew that taking the time to truly learn from the voice of a black perspective was the least I could do in a country where racial injustice destroys and/or ends lives. Sure, I’d shared graphics on Instagram from black creators, and then promptly patted myself on the back for helping “amplify the voices of black individuals”, but deep down I knew: a few clicks to share or retweet, or even sign a convenient online petition, was not enough. Here on the shelf was Kendi’s 238 pages. If I could not willingly read a mere 238 pages, I’d know I was nothing but a performative activist. I needed to put in the work, I needed to study this. And even 238 pages later I know, there is so much more out there to learn. But, Kendi’s “How to Be Antiracist” seemed like the perfect place to start.
Kendi begins his work by defining what it means to be “antiracist”, a term that he feels is more adequate than the phrase “not racist”. Why? Because it is not enough to be “not racist” while racial inequality persists. To truly advocate for the people of color around you, you must be “antiracist”, unyielding to the policies that prevent equity and the social injustices that occur daily.
“…there is no neutrality in the racism struggle….One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist’” -Kendi, “How to Be Antiracist”
Kendi’s definition is the foundation from which he explains the many issues faced by the black community. What readers may not expect, however, is Kendi’s approach of admitting his own racist mentality throughout his life, or what he refers to as “My Racist Introduction”. I was shocked when Kendi began a section of his book with the words, “I arrived at Temple as a racist, sexist, homophobe.” In this vulnerable statement, Kendi demonstrates that pride has no place in the aim to be antiracist. Rather than a lecture, this book feels more like an approachable yet firmly led conversation about how the ability to be racist lives within all of us, and it is something we must actively combat in our daily lives.
As a Latina reader, I was surprised and impressed by issues Kendi highlighted for the black community that I had not previously realized were problems in my own community as well. I didn’t think of myself as having a racist attitude towards black individuals, let alone my fellow Latinx people. Kendi’s writing was so beautifully reflective, that I had the opportunity to not only learn, but realize the problems I had witnessed firsthand in my own community amongst Latinx individuals. This is perhaps one of many reasons why I firmly believe Kendi’s book is an essential read for any individual willing to simply reflect on their relationship with racism.
I challenge readers to pick up a copy of Kendi’s “How to Be Antiracist” and reflect on their own potential growth and racist ideations. You may be well-intentioned, but are you truly antiracist?
