Fighting For Racial Justice At Every Level

In order to combat racism, you have to understand it. So, let’s begin by analyzing the way in which racism shows up.

One truth folks often don’t grapple with is that we are all engaged in racism. Those ways in which we are all engaged directly reflect the different types of racism there are.

First, there is internalized racism. Internalized means our personal beliefs, how we see ourselves, our mental models. It’s that internalization of either supremacy or inferiority, that is taught to us in different ways by culture and society.

Then, there is the interpersonal layer, which is a lot of what we are seeing in present day with the Karens and the Amys of the world. Interpersonal racism is what comes into contact when two folks of different races interact with each other.

Next, there is institutional racism. Whether we are thinking about the institution of policing, or education, or healthcare, or even organizations that we all run and a part of. Racism is embedded to each of those institutions in different ways.

And finally, systemic racism, which refers to how all of these institutions work together and reinforce each other.

Those are the different layers of racism that we interact with. It’s important to name this because of how we were socialized.

We do have racialized internal practices that we need to name, unpack, and begin to start working against. For example, cultures that have skin lightening or bleaching creams. Those are internalized things that have been reinforced by society, culture, institutionalized experiences, but also the systemic practice of racism. As another example, often times in the conversations we are having now, there is talk of being an anti-racist. Meaning, no longer striving for allyship, but striving for being anti-racist. This is very true. But, it’s important to note that the interpersonal is only one piece of the systemic force of racism that we have to actively and proactively combat against.

Once you understand these different layers of racism, you begin to realize that in order to put racial justice into practice, we have to be very strategic about how we are combatting racism at all of these levels.

Another way in which racism and white supremacy show up is their manifestation into something called White Dominant Culture, which is the culture of the majority. This means that the mannerisms and behaviors that are associated with that culture are the barometer of success.

One example of how this can show up in our day-to-day lives is the idea that title outweighs experience. In corporate America, someone is only assigned value if they are a VP or Director. How can you combat that? By adapting a holistic view of people. It doesn’t matter how many letters someone has behind their name; we all have value to give.

Yet, we know that racism is systematic and therefore reflected in these corporations. In fact, out of all Fortune 500 CEO’s only FOUR are Black.

One of my really good friends said something to me on IG Live recently. He said, “the culture of white supremacy and of racism is so thorough and so systemic that you don’t need a white person to carry it out.”

That’s exactly what I’m talking about when I speak to the importance of understanding the layers of these interpersonal practices, these institutional practices, and these systemic practices. They are all reinforced by everyone. If we aren’t strategic in combating them, we are choosing to reinforce them.

Once we understand that we have been socialized by a culture that is racialized and rooted in white supremacy… we come to realize that in order for us to think of racial justice and practice, we have to question everything.

The Six Conditions of Systems Change helps you to think about all the different levels that you have to target in order to make a systematic shift. I use this specifically to think about how we make systemic changes towards racial justice, and the different types of changes to be made to combat those various types of racism.

It all starts with these mental models. Then, it moves into relationship, connections, and power dynamics. Then, it moves to policies, practices, and resource flows.

Let’s put an example into practice. Let’s think about what you have the power to control specifically at your job. There are some things you absolutely can control regardless of what your role is. Those are: your mental models, your relationships and connections, and power dynamics.

While reflecting on these areas of control, start asking yourself “why?”

Ask yourself, “who do I have relationships with at my work? Why is that?”

Asking yourself questions, asking yourself “why”, is the beginning of putting racial justice into practice.

Once we understand that we have been socialized by a culture that is racialized and rooted in white supremacy… we come to realize that in order for us to think of racial justice and practice, we have to question everything.

When we begin that questioning, what we will find is that the origin of such was to preserve power for a certain group of people.

Watch the full recording of this webinar here on our YouTube channel.

This post is adapted from our webinar with Cici Battle, Executive Director of Young People For, Social Impact Strategist, Organizer, and Facilitator.