February - Book read-along "How to be AntiRacist" by Ibram X. Kendi

[Alexr al'Petros]

As mentioned in the main February Monthly Awareness - Celebrating Black Women Successes thread, this month we are also inviting TVN members to join us for a read-along of Ibram X. Kendi's book, "How to be an AntiRacist". So let's read and discuss "How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi. Starting 1 Feb, in this thread, we will post discussion topics related to the book read-along. You can share comments and thoughts there. On February 10th, 18th, and maybe another day or two, we will meet up on Discord and have a discussion about the book. From time to time (during the month) here in this thread, we will post some additional thoughts to consider while reading this book AND we hope you will share with us some of your thoughts, experiences, insights about the book by posting responses.

So let's get the discussion started....

1 Feb: Let's talk about ...

1. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi shares his own experience with racist thinking. How does his honesty help give us space to acknowledge and name our own racist behaviors and attitudes?
2. Kendi writes, “The only way to undo racism is to constantly identify it and describe it—and then dismantle it.” Why does he believe we need to call out racism when we see it, even if it can be uncomfortable to identify?

 

[Idine Espanyas]

Thanks for getting our discussion started off, Alexr.

I’ll take a stab at question 2 first. Kendi writes that the only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it- and then dismantle it. Because racist ideas are so prevalent in our society, the work to do this is a constant undertaking.

His honesty is so important because it starts the conversation in a place of sharing. Instead of him telling us “here is what you all have to do, look at me I’m perfect” Kendi connects with readers by sharing his own experiences and faults. Being honest is the first step to making change.

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

You took the words right outta my... fingertips, Idine

Question 1 - I grew up hearing minorities weren't racist by simply being minorities. Kendi's words show that's not true and everyone has work to do in order to grow.

Question 2 - If it gets ignored, it never gets addressed. If it never gets addressed, then it will continue to be an issue. If it continues to be an issue, then we're no better than those in the Fifteenth century (if not all the way back to the ancient Egyptians) when the term "race" was first coined.

--

Also, a sig to help raise awareness about this thread and Discord discussion:

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

These are great insights, your courage sharing them honors our TVN community. Hopefully, more TVN voices will join this discussion.

It's hard to try on a new perspective or to even admit that our own perspective might need changing or educating. This topic of Racism and becoming an AntiRacist seems so old and worn, that many want to move on and can't see that the legacy still permeates our societies. I'm including a lecture that I recently attended. The lecturer explores how the legacy of racism remains embedded in U.S. legal regimes.

Blackness as Nuisance and the Racialization of Space

For those that have the courage to continue our book read along, let's talk about ....

3. The book’s central message is that the opposite of “racist” isn’t “not racist.” The true opposite of “racist” is antiracist. “The good news,” Kendi writes, “is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be racist one minute and an antiracist the next.” What does it mean to have to constantly reaffirm your identity as an antiracist? Is there any benefit to the fact that you can’t just decide you are “not racist” or an antiracist and be done with it?

4. What is the first step you, personally, will take in striving to be an antiracist? How will you check yourself and hold yourself accountable if you notice you, or someone else, is being racist?

Be brave, speak up.

 

[Dianna Melear]

Super excited to have a community to read this book with, so thank you SoA team for the excellent suggestion!! Gonna pop in here to take a crack at questions 3 and 4....

3. The great thing about the term anti-racist is that it is active, as opposed to the passivity of "not racist." If I say I'm "not racist" I'm not actually saying what I am. But if I say that I'm "anti-racist" then I have defined myself as actively in opposition to racism (not just having the absence of racism). I also like that he doesn't treat "racist" and "antiracist" as fixed binary states of being. There is no golden goal post which, once crossed, marks one as "antiracist," and anyone who hasn't passed that goal is "racist." Instead, to be antiracist takes active thought, actions, and a shifting of one's beliefs and mindset. And one can shift back to "racist" at any time through racist thoughts or actions. So to be anti-racist takes constant awareness and the making of conscious choices.

4. I work in academia and specifically in scientific research, where non-white folks are historically and routinely underrepresented at all levels, especially Black and Latinx scientists. I used to be nervous about speaking up regarding elevating those voices, since 1) I'm not a scientist myself and 2) I'm not from those communities. But now I'm going to look for areas where people from those communities are either being underrepresented or excluded (either intentionally or not), call out that exclusion, and insist that people from those communities be included.

I'm also going to be better about putting a stop to my own microaggressions when I catch myself (I will admit to being a purse clutcher when I'm on the bus ) and dig into where, really, those racist behaviors come from.

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Some fantastic insights about the reading. I really appreciate your courage to have this open and thoughtful discussion about this book. I'm even more impressed by the honesty and self-reflection expressed by all the Posters in this thread so far. Amazing. In a couple of days, we will have our first Discord event to chat about the book, I'm really excited to see who courageously shows up. But in the meantime as you read the book...

Let's talk about....

5. Kendi thinks that we should assess political candidates as being racist or antiracist based on what ideas they are expressing and what policies they are supporting—and not what they say is in their bones or their heart. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

6. Anyone who values immigrants from European countries and devalues immigrants from Latin America is guilty of racism. Have you ever been guilty of this type of racism? Discuss the unique resilience and resourcefulness people possess if they leave everything in their native country behind and immigrate to another, as Kendi examines in the chapter on Ethnicity.

We have diversity in TVN. Let's speak up and show that as allies; we are not afraid to address these issues.

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

Spoiler: question 3

Just going to +1 Dianna's mic drop of a comment again. So very well said.

Spoiler: question 4

A couple personal stories were shared in tonight's book discussion of family either including race as elements of a story as well as the use of materials relating back to slavery in their decoration aesthetic. Opening dialogue about their use of race in conversation or decoration materials would be the foremost thing I can do.

Spoiler: question 5

Actions speak louder than words. Always.

Spoiler: question 6

No, and I've always thought people who complain "X race take up all the jobs" were ... for lack of a better term besides "racist"... idiots.

It takes a special type of determination and bravery to leave everything behind, traveling to another country where one will most likely not know the predominate language and start over from scratch. People who do that are nothing short of inspiring.

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Thanks to everyone that courageously attended the Book discussion on Friday 10 February, your insights, comments, and observations were well received and exploratory of the important materials in the book. We will have another chat about the book, but for now we are going to continue our read along. As you get deeper into the book...

Let's talk about....

7. There’s a stronger and clearer correlation between levels of violent crime and unemployment levels than between violent crime and race, but that’s not the story policymakers have chosen to tell. Discuss why you think this is. How might our society and culture change if policymakers characterized dangerous Black neighborhoods as dangerous unemployed neighborhoods?

 

[Idine Espanyas]

I think this is because racism has long been used as a tool to divide the electorate and push through policies that might not otherwise be popular. Just in the 20th century alone in the US we have seen the Southern Strategy, the War on Drugs that targeted black and brown neighborhoods (even though drug use and sales are statistically similar across all racial groups), War on Crime, War on Welfare, War on Terrorism, etc. All of the policies were pretty darn racist, even at the time. It doesn’t matter which party enacted them. These policies were extremely punitive, expensive, and we can argue that in many cases, they haven’t made us safer from homegrown threats or improved the quality of life for the vast majority of people. Haven’t made us stronger as a country, as our infrastructure is literally crumbling, our public education and healthcare systems in many areas are close to collapse as no one wants to be nurses or teachers anymore. Without racism, would we have enacted these punitive policies in the first place?

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

7. There’s a stronger and clearer correlation between levels of violent crime and unemployment levels than between violent crime and race, but that’s not the story policymakers have chosen to tell. Discuss why you think this is. ...

Because it's harder to admit when one's idea isn't working, they were wrong, or have no idea what each person is dealing with their personal day-to-day. No one wants to throw money at tailored programs to help issues related to employment, whether it's anxiety about finding gainful employment, managing stressors of a job and daily life, etc. It's currently, "One size fits most, and we'll punish desperate people that our idea didn't work for."

... How might our society and culture change if policymakers characterized dangerous Black neighborhoods as dangerous unemployed neighborhoods?

More accessible education and social services to alleviate the issues mentioned above? I've always heard a degree in social work was a pointless degree and career path but seems to be quite the opposite.

 

[Idine Espanyas]

That is so true. It’s hard to admit that the policies we’ve been following for decades are wrong and just aren’t working. Also, so much of the American Protestant ethos is wrapped up in the idea of punishment and people being deserving of what they get. Is it any surprise our policies are reflective of that?

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Wow, those are great answers. And I'm proud of the expressed honesty and vulnerability. If we want to be allies, we actually must speak up and express that sentiment, and as importantly, fearless engage in these sort of discussions. Our next Discord chat will be this Saturday, will you be brave enough to attend?

In the meantime, let's talk about ...

8. Why do you think it is so hard for people to not assess other cultures from their own cultural standards? How does doing this trap people in racist ideas?

9. Inequities between Light and Dark African Americans can be as wide as inequities between Black and White Americans. How have you seen colorism play out in real life and/or in the media?

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Reminder that today, Saturday February 18th, we have our second book discussion. Bring drinks and snacks. In preparation for that

Let's talk about....

10. Kendi writes, “White supremacist is code for anti-human, a nuclear ideology that poses an existential threat to human existence.” How are white supremacists and their ideology actually harmful to all of humanity—including white people?

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

Answering from yesterday's book discussion if anyone else would like to jump in:

Spoiler: question 8

8. Why do you think it is so hard for people to not assess other cultures from their own cultural standards? How does doing this trap people in racist ideas?

Still unsure if I'm comprehending this question correctly, tbh.. But..

Culture is taught so slowly that it looks "normal" by the time we're old enough to assess it. By then it's hard to separate ourselves from our own cultural upbringing enough to think another race's upbringing is anything other than "weird" or "odd" because it doesn't mimic our own.

Spoiler: question 9

9. Inequities between Light and Dark African Americans can be as wide as inequities between Black and White Americans. How have you seen colorism play out in real life and/or in the media?

I feel silly for not having an answer for this one at all yesterday and having a hard time thinking of examples. Now I recall Zoe Kravitz being passed up for a movie role because she was "too urban".

Also, what is the term when a Black character's skin is turned into another color for the majority of a movie instead of remaining natural throughout? Is there one? I'm thinking of the movie Soul, which along with other insensitivities, the main character (who is Black) is turned into a blue ghost. I've not seen the movie so I don't know if the character returns to his normal body (like, he wakes up in a hospital bed or something at the end), but this seems to be done a lot. And why, why, why will they not bring Miles Morales (Into the Spiderverse) into the live action MCU alongside with Maguire, Garfield, and Holland?! Also noticing a lot of minorities playing antagonists in media, too.

Spoiler: question 10

10. Kendi writes, “White supremacist is code for anti-human, a nuclear ideology that poses an existential threat to human existence.” How are white supremacists and their ideology actually harmful to all of humanity—including white people?

White supremicists will keep eradicating a population so much that they will starting eradicating themselves because Person A doesn't believe other races are a problem as much as Person B. Then Person B becomes a problem, start eradicating themselves, and eventually reaching a point where the humanity can't survive on its own.

Also kudos to the point made that humanity cannot prosper or evolve to a lack of heterogeneous [Eta: “diverse” is the word my brain was refusing to remember] thinking that comes with varied cultural upbringing and exposure as well as to all the things and richness of life we have all already lost due to wiping out indigenous culture and general assimilation.

 

[Idine Espanyas]

These are some interesting thoughts! I hope it was a fruitful discussion. Wish I could have made it but I was working.

Re: the dark skin vs. light skin I believe in the USA this separation partly came from the dark skinned field slaves being separated from the light skinned house slaves, and the house slaves were given more privileges than the field slaves and colorism developed from there. You definitely see it today in many cultural aspects. I even notice it when I watch Survivor. The darker skinned players get voted off first/are seen as less trustworthy or more lazy than the lighter skinned black players.

Re: the culture issue I wonder if this has to do with our cultures still being so segregated from each other? I mean just having a conversation with people can break down so many barriers. The guy I was working with at the farm is from Guatemala and he was telling me about the city he is from and he family there. Just listening to people and learning about their lives is an important first step I think. To realizing they are just like you, with families and hopes and dreams.

How is white supremacy destructive to white people? In so many ways, it’s destructive to white people. It sets us up to fail by segregating us from the reality of the future world- the future will be a multicultural world, and it does us no favors to isolate ourselves from everyone else.
Also, white supremacy causes white individuals to act collectively to vote for policies that end up causing harm to themselves- because they don’t want “supposedly undeserving racial group” to also benefit from a universal policy. Why do you think we don’t have universal family leave, universal sick leave, universal childcare, universal healthcare, and free community college and cheap state university programs in the USA? Why so little Federal investment in public education- it’s mostly at the state and local level and very uneven (and often along racial lines)? All things that would massively boost our economy and improve the quality of life of our people. But we don’t do it because of those racial resentments still lingering around.

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Great responses, thank you for perspectives.

During our Saturday chat session, we had a number of really important issues raised and discussed. Regarding, the "light skin v. dark skin" one member asked me to share the following website that discusses the "Brown Paper Bag Test."

It was very insightful and provocative to me and certainly speaks to a larger issue underlying our struggle to be anti-racist.

As we get close to the final chapters of the book, let's talk about....

11. Kendi makes the case that to be antiracist, one must stand against all forms of bigotry. Why is standing against other bigotries so essential to standing against racism?

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

11. Kendi makes the case that to be antiracist, one must stand against all forms of bigotry. Why is standing against other bigotries so essential to standing against racism?

Non-race-related minority groups (LGBTQ+, feminists, etc) include the full spectrum of skin color. It’s impossible to say, “I fully support these other groups except those individuals with x, y, z skin colors.”

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

We hope you enjoyed reading Kendi's book, How to be AntiRacist with us. Before the month ends

Let's talk about...

12. Kendi closes the book comparing racism and cancer. What do you think of this comparison?
13. Kendi believes we can defy the odds, heal society of racism, and create an antiracist society. Do you? Why is hope so central to the antiracist movement?

Hope is key. Hope that we, TVN can be a better place. Hope that we, TVN can inspire others to improve. Hope that we find joy in improving.

I hope that our "drinking club that reads" can do another book read along, and as importantly, courageously continue this discussion.

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

12. It's an apt comparison. If racism isn't stopped then it will increase exponentially, further dividing people from one another. It's not enough to ignore it. We have to be proactive in teaching ourselves and future generations how to be antiracists by not just supporting antiracist policies but explaining it to our kids, too. Kendi said it wasn't about erasing ignorance, but it helps kids understand the larger picture and how their involvement has a greater impact once they become adults. Besides, it seemed Kendi was referring to racists' and assimilationists' ignorance moreso than a child's.

13. There's always hope because there's always a chance people can change their mindset and subsequent actions. Hope has to be central to any movement or else nothing will ever change.

Thank you for hosting and posting February's book discussion, Alexr, and to everyone who participated! It's been a great experience despite some uncomfortable truths about my life. It's presented some goals, though, and hope to reach those goals will not be lost.

 

[Lyndo Shiranui]

This thread is golden.