“The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.” Toni Morrison
This anti-racism guide was created as an antithesis to racist beliefs and practices. The publication of this anti-racism resource guide was intentionally published quite a bit of time after the publication of the LBCC cultural affinity resource guides. The cultural affinity guides were created as a starting point for those who wish to explore, learn, understand and build empathy towards marginalized people. The affinity resource guides are counter narratives to misinformation and stereotypes.
In the creation of this anti-racism guide we had many questions. Would this guide be seen as antagonistic? How could we make sure the guide is useful and impactful and isn’t simply falling into the DEIA buzzword trap? What if folks misinterpret our intentions and claim the guide is a tool of “reverse racism”? How do we highlight and prioritize voices of color? How could we curate resources to help people learn and navigate the racial trauma that would arise while researching and creating the resource guide?
We were extremely thoughtful and mindful in the curation of the resources provided. In the words of James Baldwin, “you mean it or you don’t.” It is time to move past talking about anti-racism to action. It is time to evolve from anti-racism knowledge to wisdom. Knowledge is acquired through learning, exposure and experience. Wisdom is the quality of information, the application of the knowledge and sharing knowledge with generations to come. We understand that true change takes time and there will be missteps. But we implore everyone to mean what you say.
This guide was created by BIPOC faculty.
This guide is evergreen. Every effort will be made to update the guide with pertinent and vital resources and information.
