Introduction
Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible — even if you’re choking on it — until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it wherever it lands. But we have to stay vigilant, because it’s always still in the air. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Times Op Ed, June 1, 2020
Racism is an insidious disease and combatting this complex system of social and political levers requires ongoing attention from our community and from the institutions that serve this community. To be proactive in eradicating racism, one must think critically about how to best address anti-blackness and recognize privilege. This guide provides resources to help you understand systemic racism, take action, find data, conduct research and prepare curriculum, and connect with UM and local and national resources. Black lives DO matter. In Missoula. In Montana. Everywhere.
We continue to add to this guide. If you have suggested resources for us to include, please email us.
Definitions
- Anti-Racism. The work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts.
- Racial Justice. The systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond “anti-racism.” It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventative measures.
- Racism. Historically rooted system of power hierarchies based on race—infused in our institutions, policies and culture—that benefit White people and hurt people of color. Racism isn’t limited to individual acts of prejudice, either deliberate or accidental. Rather, the most damaging racism is built into systems and institutions that shape our lives. Most coverage of race and racism is not “systemically aware,” meaning that it either focuses on racism at the level of individuals’ speech or actions, individual-level racism, dismisses systemic racism, or refers to racism in the past tense.
- White Supremacy. A form of racism centered upon the belief that White people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds and that Whites should politically, economically, and socially dominate non-Whites. While often associated with violence perpetrated by the KKK and other White supremacist groups, it also describes a political ideology and systemic oppression that perpetuates and maintains the social, political, historical and/or industrial White domination.
Race Forward. (2015). Key terms and concepts. In Race reporting guide (pp. 25-34).
Keep in mind: Racism like “many other important concepts in the social sciences, does not have a universally acknowledged or accepted definition. Rather, the concept is defined in different ways by social scientists, and the different definitions have important implications for the processes of public policy."
Smith, R. C. (2021). Racism. In R. C. Smith (ed.), Encyclopedia of African-American politics (3rd ed.). Facts On File.
Introductory Books
Anti-Racism
How to Be an Antiracist by Call Number: 305.8 K335h and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2019Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas--from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities--that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
So You Want to Talk about Race by Call Number: 305.800973 O529s and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2018How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair--and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend?... Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
Racism
Systemic Racism in the United States by Call Number: 970.98 T732sPublication Date: 2018This important volume provides a powerful overview of racism in the United States: what it is, how it works, and the social, cultural, and institutional structures that have evolved to keep it in place. It dissects the rise of legalized discrimination against four major racial groups (First Nations, Africans, Mexicans, and Chinese) and its perpetuation as it affects these groups and new immigrants today.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Call Number: 305.800973 T221w 2003 and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2003Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious.
Whiteness
White Fragility by Call Number: 305.8 D538w and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2018DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Call Number: 305.800973 A5457W and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2016Carefully linking historical flash points when social progress for African Americans was countered by deliberate and cleverly crafted opposition, Anderson pulls back the veil that has long covered actions made in the name of protecting democracy, fiscal responsibility, or protection against fraud, rendering visible the long lineage of white rage.
History
Stamped from the Beginning by Call Number: 305.800973 K335s and E-BOOK and audio bookPublication Date: 2016The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Call Number: 304.80973 and E-BOOKPublication Date: 2010Chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.
Watch and Listen
Talks
- Talks to Help You Understand Racism in America, TED Playlist"From passionate pleas for reform to poetic turns of phrase, these talks take an honest look at everyday realities of Black Americans and illuminate the way forward."
Podcasts
- 1619, Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York TimesAn audio series from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery and "the long shadow of that fateful moment".
- About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge"Featuring key voices from the last few decades of anti-racist activism, About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge looks at the recent history that lead to the politics of today."
- Code Switch, NPR"Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between."
- Intersectionality Matters! with Kimberlé Crenshaw, African American Policy ForumBrings intersectionality to life, hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory.
- Pod Save the People, DeRay Mckesson, Kaya Henderson, and De’Ara Balenger, Crooked Media"A unique take on the news, with a special focus on overlooked stories and topics that often impact people of color."
- Notes from America with Kai Wright, WNYC Studios"A show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future."