How to Be an Antiracist

In the wake of George Floyd's death and the protests that followed, I had a sad realization. As a comfortable white woman who has been in the same city and more or less the same environment all her life, I was pretty ignorant about racism. I knew it existed, but I thought it was "somewhere else." I thought that back home we were above it, and I considered myself "not racist". So I was forced to realize that I didn't fully understand where all the anger and pain expressed by the Black Lives Matter movement was coming from. I felt ashamed, and I felt that this shame was legitimate and that I needed to find a way to educate myself. That's why I decided to read How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi.

Summary

From the beginning, the book came to confront me with why the opposite of "racist" is not "not racist." Donald Trump calls himself "not racist," as does white supremacist Richard Spencer. Because to admit to being a racist, or to call someone else a racist, is, in our eyes, to insult them. We see "racist" as a derogatory term.

But to say "not racist" is to remain in denial. If we stay neutral about racism, if we stay away and don't express our ideas about it, then we are not helping the cause. By our silence, we are helping to perpetuate all the racist policies that create racial inequity in society. Being "not racist" is a form of racism. The only way to be against racism is to be anti-racist.

The author explains this in a very systematic way, using very clear definitions that leave no room for compromise. And this is how he proceeds throughout the book. He defines "assimilationist" and "segregationist", he explains how the concept of race was constructed, he explains all the different forms of racism: there is biological, ethnic, bodily, cultural, behavioral, classist, spatial, gendered, sexual, anti-white racism, there is colorism. He explains how each of these forms of racism is expressed today and has been expressed in the past. He explains that racism is not just for white people.

This book covers the basics of understanding what racism is, where it comes from, how it is expressed in our societies every day, and how to be anti-racist. It's a tour de horizon. Perfect for people like me.

Impressions

I think a lot of times people are reluctant to learn about sensitive issues like this because they're afraid of feeling bad. They're afraid to find out that they're bad people and that they've unknowingly contributed to a devastating system.

Clearly, the author is aware of this. He is not at all posing as a superior, sanctimonious being who knows everything, but as an imperfect being with an imperfect path. He is black, and when he was young, he was racist. He had to learn how to become anti-racist, and it's still an ongoing process. To him, it's okay for people to be racist. Racism is what built our society. It is taught to us. It's not easy to go in the opposite direction. But it is not impossible.

In short, I did not feel horrible when I read this book. I learned and understood, thanks to the absolutely clear explanations. I felt energized. I feel less ashamed. I have hope. And I'm sure that if you read it, you will have the same experience as I did.