If Everyone Has Been Programmed to Normalize Racism, then What?

A white woman recently said she and other whites face a dilemma when they are a “work in progress” while learning to become more fully anti-racism. My response to her was that all people in America, including black and brown people, absorbed racist ideology from schools, churches and other institutional influences. The question is what are we all doing to overcome the ignorance, reverse the nonsense and stop repeating the cycles of damage caused by systemic racism? There are many ways people can consistently work to overcome racist ideology, but many do not invest time and effort in doing so — and therefore should still be considered part of the problem.

They are passive and think they have nothing to learn. They talk, but refuse to take actions that have impact in the real world. You know if this applies to you, because you will likely still deny, pretend and fail to take any responsibility in any meaningful way to make a positive difference. If you don’t have a clue about what to do, seek consultations from those with expertise and experience to guide your path, and attend various educational and healing programs to hold yourself accountable. Talk is cheap. It’s no different if you want to stop drinking or drugging. You have to be mindful of your own mentalities, addictions and tendencies, in order to check in with yourself. Honesty is crucial. You cannot become conscious enough otherwise.

I, as a black woman, have had incentives to change my worldview for various reasons. I continue to be open to learning and growth as a human being. It will likely take another generation yet to reverse the basic foundations of colonial viewpoints embedded in schools, churches and other institutions. The key is to not deny, collude or be passive in our approaches. To be a real “anti-racist” means recognizing that racism supports abuse of human beings and requires taking a definitive stand against systemic oppression. If white people are actively doing anti-racism thinking and behaviors, being “a work in progress” should result in considerably reducing harm, and it should show up consistently in how people interact with others.

Racists come up with all kinds of lies to justify the systemic mistreatment of, and their own hatred for, black and brown people. They claim inherent superiority because they think whiteness should…