How To Be An Antiracist Fall 2022 Syllabus

Session 1 Materials

Friday, November 11, 2–2:30pm: Read Chapters 1, 2, 14, 16

Definitions, Dueling Consciousness, Gender, Failure:

Individual Introspection

Discussion Prompts

Individual Introspection Group Discussion

  • How does failure resonate with you as you consider dueling consciousness and your salient identities (e.g gender identity/expression)?
  • Pg 215: “A protest is organizing people for a prolonged campaign that forces racist power to change a policy. A demonstration is mobilizing people momentarily to publicize a problem.”  How have you used the words “demonstration” and “protest” interchangeably in the past?  Are there upcoming events/actions you plan that can benefit from clearer language?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Definitions, Dueling Consciousness, Gender, Failure:

Collective Accountability

Discussion Prompts

Collective Accountability Group Discussion

  • How does failure appear in professional contexts when you consider dueling consciousness, race, and gender (e.g gender identity/expression)?
  • How do we disrupt in professional contexts notions of failure at the intersections of race and gender?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Session 2 Materials

Friday, November 18, 2–2:30pm: Read Chapters 7, 13, 18

Culture, Space, Survival:

Individual Introspection

Journal and Discussion Questions

Individual Introspection Pre-Session Padlet Writing activity: Please respond to the following question on this Padlet before the start of the second session on November 18.

  • Being as creative as you’d like, when you think of American culture, what religion, language, philosophy, art forms, food, and clothing do you think about? What American groups practice these cultural ways of being? Is this American culture?

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Discuss the Padlet prompt (above)
  • How is culture created? Who gets to set the norms of culture? How does culture impact your sense of safety when being in a space?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Culture, Space, Survival:

Collective Accountability

Journal and Discussion Questions

Collective Accountability Pre-Session Padlet Writing activity: Please respond to the following question on this Padlet before the start of the second session on November 18.

  • Make a list of what you consider to be “safe spaces” around you. What are some of the common characteristics of these spaces? What kinds of things might make a space “safe”?

Group Discussion Questions:

  • When we step outside of our individual experiences of “culture” or “space” (i.e. am I safe, will I experience harm, or do I belong), and focus on the collective spaces that we are a part of (e.g., family, community, schools, work, etc.) – how does this shift your perceptions or participation around safety (i.e., am I creating a program that addresses the needs of folks who have different backgrounds or experiences from me, or is this policy addressing work place conflict acknowledging of racial dynamics & positional power?)

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Session 3 Materials

Friday, December 2, 2–2:30pm: Read Chapters 3, 12, 15

Class, Sexuality, Power:

Individual Introspection

Journal and Discussion Questions

Individual Introspection Pre-Session Padlet Writing activity: Please respond to the following question on this Padlet before the start of the second session on December 2.

  • What is your relationship to your racial identity? Sexual orientation? Class? Do you feel equally connected to or separated from your racial identity? Sexual orientation? Class? Why? What are the factors?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Class, Sexuality, Power:

Collective Accountability

Journal and Discussion Questions

Group Discussion Questions:

  • How racially mixed is the LGBTQ community you are individually a part of? Organizationally?
  • Who are your organizational funders?
  • Are there examples you have where pressure or denial of LGBTQ funds happened as a result of political concerns from either private or public funders that are racist?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Session 4 Materials

Friday, December 9, 2–2:30pm: Read Chapters 6, 8, 17

Body, Behavior, Success:

Individual Introspection

Discussion Prompts

Individual Introspection Prompts: Discussion Questions for Both Spaces:

  • Describe the first time you challenged (or thought about challenging) racism; What did you do? What Actions did you take;
  • Reflecting on your field(s)/organizations, what are examples of policies that did not name race, but in execution resulted in unequal outcomes due to race?
  • What are some of the ways the body plays in perpetuating racism and anti-blackness?

Discussion Question for BIPOC Space:

  • What messages about the Black/Brown body are taught in the United States? How do these messages show up in the media, in policies, and in our perceptions about communities? How do we disrupt these messages?

Discussion Question for White Space:

  • What messages about the White body are taught in the United States? How do these messages show up in the media, in policies, and in our perceptions about communities? How do we disrupt these messages?

Resources to Enrich Discussion: Pick one video and/or pick one reading – from each subject:

Body:

Behavior:

Success:

Body, Behavior, Success:

Collective Accountability

Discussion Prompts

Collective Accountability Group Discussion Questions:

  • How do the social determinants of health (e.g. the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play) impact success at the intersections of race?
    • What are some ways we can reshape the narrative as it relates to the work environment and its impact on success at the intersection of the body from the lens of race?
  • What are examples of current racist or anti-black mindsets at the intersection of the body or size that influences your organizations or interactions with community members? How are these mindsets impacting the issues you are trying to address?

Session 5 Materials

Friday, December 16, 2–2:30pm: Read Chapters 4, 5, 9, 10, 11

Color, Biology, Ethnicity, Black, White:

Individual Introspection

Discussion Prompts

Individual Introspection Group Discussion Questions:

  • “Colorism is a powerful collection of racist policies that lead to inequities between light people and dark people, supported by racist ideas about light and dark people.” Many people believe the lighter the skin color the better, the straighter the hair the better. How does this idea show up in society today? How does it affect us?
  • Why is it important to acknowledge and affirm the harm colorism and anti-blackness causes when it comes to the humanity and liberation of racialized identities?

Resources to Enrich Discussion

Color, Biology, Ethnicity, Black, White:

Collective Accountability

Discussion Prompts

In-Session Journaling Activity: Recall a recent (within the last 6 months) racial injustice in society/at your organization that affected you- made you sad or angry or prompted you to take action.

  • Discussion:  Is anyone willing to share their story? Why did this racial injustice affect you so deeply?

Individual Introspection Group Discussion Questions:

  • What policies could be changed to create more equity in your institution between lighter people, darker people, and white people, or ones that minimize colorism and anti-blackness amongst institutional members? Who has the power in your organization to change this policy? Are you able to take action on discussing the policy? Will you take action? When?

Resources to Enrich Discussion