Crucial to improving equity at UAF is understanding one factor that erodes it: racism. I encourage us all to take time this week to think about what you hear when people talk about racism around you. What do you believe racism is? The way the term has been used seems to have changed over time1. As you consider how you’ve defined racism, consider the following factors:
• How visible is racism?
• Who perpetrates racism?
• What makes something racist?
These definitions and examples may miss some ways racism shows up. They are meant to be frameworks for you to consider. The more you are able to recognize some forms of racism, the more capable you will be of taking action when you see racism.
How visible is racism?
Some racism is overt and some is covert and less visible. Overt racism is often the easiest to identify and act against. For instance, harassment of non-English speakers, actions of the KKK, and use of the “N” word are all very easy to spot. In recent decades, the word racism has come to be used more frequently to describe covert racism. Covert racism includes actions that subvert, distort, restrict, and deny racial minorities access to privileges and benefits others in society get2. This type of racism is disguised enough that, when pointed out, a person can deny the act was racist2. This process can people who witness racism question whether to label an act “racist”.
Who can perpetrate racism?
Racism shows up in the actions of individuals, small groups, organizations, and large systems. Individual racism may be easier to identify because a specific instance can be highlighted between two people that shows racism. Systemic racism can be more difficult to identify because it often is only visible to those who have access to the experiences of entire groups of people with given systems. For instance, one mother losing her baby during birth may not necessarily signal her doctor was racist. However, studies examining the experiences of Black and/or African American mothers have revealed an infant mortality rate 2.3 times higher than in non-Hispanic white mothers3,4,5. Anyone and any system can exhibit racism. There are some definitions of what racism is that suggest there are racial groups whose actions cannot be defined as racist.
What does it mean to call something racist?
One definition, which comes from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s book How To Be An Antiracist, states that a racist is “One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racist idea.” (Kendi, p. 13). Take a moment to notice parts of that definition. The definition ignores intention. A person could then have good intention, yet still be supporting racist ideas or policies. The term specifically is applied to an action or inaction. It is not, then, the person’s character that is being described as “racist”. Consider what this means. On the one hand, it means that by this definition one’s total and permanent character is not being threatened by the word. On the other hand, it means no amount of good intention or moral character gives you a pass to not be mindful of your behavior.
These frameworks are not the same as others might use. I encourage you to ask yourself: how does my definition of racism facilitate or hinder my ability to identify racism in myself? In others? What does my definition focus on? What might my definition miss?
Resources
1: See piece in The Atlantic titled Racist is a Tough Little Word at https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/racism-concept-change/594526/
2: See Fitchburg State University’s antiracism resource website at https://fitchburgstate.libguides.com/c.php?g=1046516&p=7619360
3: US. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. See further information at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=23
4: Science News’ description and interview with authors of study which found lower African-American infant mortality rate when the physician was also African-American/Black. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-newborn-baby-survival-doctor-race-mortality-rate-disparity
5: Original journal article of study examining impact of physician/patient racial concordance on infant mortality. https://www.pnas.org/content/117/35/21194 6: Kendi, I. X. (2019). How to be an antiracist. New York City, NY: One World publishing.