Coming to Terms
Conversations around difficult topics, like racism, are often made more difficult when we fail to share a common understanding of foundational terms. When we use the word “racism,” it’s important that we begin the conversation with what we mean. For many, it’s a scary word that we associate with shame or embarrassment. We fear being identified as “racist” and out of that fear we may avoid honest conversations that acknowledge the, often unintentional, ways we allow the forces driving racism to persist. Today, we encourage you to set that fear aside as together we allow the light of Christ to illuminate our understanding of racism.
Breaking Down Racism
Yesterday, we shared a broad definition of racism from I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation, by Chanequa Walker-Barnes. In that definition, she says, “Racism is an interlocking system of oppression that is designed to promote and maintain White supremacy.”
To unlock that interlocking system, we’re turning to resources provided by the National Museum of African American History & Culture. There, they use definitions provided by Racial Equity Tools to understand how racism operates at multiple levels of society.
On a foundational level, racism can be broken down into two pillars: prejudice and power. Prejudice involves the unfounded beliefs and irrational fears of an individual or group toward another individual or group. These unfounded beliefs and attitudes, often negative, lead to stereotypes - generalizations that characterize the entire group rather than each individual (SOURCE: Institute for Democratic Renewal and Project Change Anti-Racism Initiative). Power refers to the ability to influence others and impose one’s beliefs, ideas, or culture. (SOURCE: Intergroup Resources, 2012). Together, these forces go beyond individual mindsets and create a system of institutional structures and advantages, based on race, that permeate our society.
From Individual to Institution
See below how prejudice and power interact at all levels of society, unequally creating negative impacts for certain groups based on race. Then, watch the video below and listen to Franchesca Ramsey share 5 Things You Should Know about Racism on MTV’s Decoded.
