The heart of racism is denial. It is refusing to self-reflect.
In his global, game-changing bestseller How To Be An Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi, director of the Centre for Antiracist Research at Boston University, showed that when it comes to racism, neutrality is not an option: until we become part of the solution, we can only be part of the problem. Crucially, it requires 'persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism and regular self-examination'.
In this workbook he uses his extraordinary gifts as a teacher to provide the reader with a series of activities, exercises and reflections to help them do this vital work, to cultivate an instinctive awareness of racism in all its forms and to take the action necessary to promote racial equity in the world around them. He asks us to reflect on our thinking around race through prompts including 'Describe the most racist moment of your life,', 'Have you ever been hesitant to use the R-word? Why?' and 'What does resistance mean to you?' helping us understand that the heartbeat of anti-racism is confession. It is self-reflection.
Being antiracist is not something you are. It's something we do.
