LibGuides: Antiracism and Allyship Resources: Introduction

Terminology and definitions

Definitions
Definitions for words and phrases used in conversations and research about race, privilege, and anti-racist action.

Quick Courses and Self-Assessment

"Justice in June": a month-long syllabus
A great first step to becoming an ally for racial justice, "Justice in June” provides a schedule of resources arranged day by day, week by week, with items to watch, read, listen, and act on.
In the words of "Justice in June" creators Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta, with recent events “[i]t’s totally okay to be overwhelmed, but don’t let those feelings keep you from taking action” (@Autumn_Bry).
Anti-Racism Training: online class
The Diversity and Resiliency Institute of El Paso made their online Anti-Racism Training course available for free during the month of June 2020. It will be offered again in August. The course is broken up into three modules, each about 2 hours long, and can be completed at your own pace.
Implicit Association Test
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you did not know about. The IAT should not be used to diagnose an individual. At this stage in its development, it is most appropriate for use as an educational tool for self-reflection to develop awareness of implicit preferences and stereotypes.

On White Privilege

(Ahn)

"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh: McIntosh's famous article introduced a list of everyday occurrences and assurances that white people are generally (and often subconsciously) able to rely on throughout their lives.

"White privilege is not the suggestion that white people have never struggled. Many white people do not enjoy the privileges that come with relative affluence, such as food security. Many do not experience the privileges that come with access, such as nearby hospitals. And white privilege is not the assumption that everything a white person has accomplished is unearned; most white people who have reached a high level of success worked extremely hard to get there. Instead, white privilege should be viewed as a built-in advantage, separate from one’s level of income or effort" (Collins, "What Is White Privilege, Really?").

Works Cited

Ahn, Courtney. "A Guide to White Privilege." Courtney Ahn Design, https://www.courtneyahndesign.com/illustration/guide-white-privilege. Accessed 7 June 2020.

Collins, Cory. "What is White Privilege, Really?" Teaching Tolerance, 2018, https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2018/what-is-white-privilege-really. Accessed 7 Jun 2020.

McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Wellesley College, National SEED Project, 2010, https://nationalseedproject.org/images/documents/Knapsack_plus_Notes-Peggy_McIntosh.pdf. Accessed 7 Jun 2020.

Broad books to get you started

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Publication Date: 2017
The award-winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society. Racist ideas have a long and lingering history, one in which nearly every great American thinker is complicit. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and activist Angela Davis.
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Publication Date: 2015
The classic bestseller chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home and the workplace. Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History tells America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers.