Day 1: How do you think about your racial identity?
“Not seeing race does little to deconstruct racist structures or materially improve the conditions which people of color are subject to daily. In order to dismantle unjust, racist structures, we must see race. We must see who benefits from their race, who is disproportionately impacted by negative stereotypes about their race, and to who power and privilege is bestowed upon – earned or not – because of their race, their class, and their gender. Seeing race is essential to changing the system.”
Reni Eddo-Lodge
Before you get started, if you haven’t done so already, please fill out this pre-event survey to set your intentions and share your goals for the challenge with us. We also encourage you to download your Challenge Activity Log – a tool to ensure you are taking full advantage of what the challenge has to offer.
We cannot cease in confronting our country’s history and relationship to identity. It is time for us to take a closer look at the inequities that are deeply rooted in our systems and institutions and work together to create an America where every individual has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, religion, and age. Over the next 21 days, we will explore difficult topics, like structural racism, segregation, oppression, and privilege, to open up dialogue on how we can be champions of racial equity in our personal and professional lives.
Today’s Challenge
How do you think about your racial identity and its relevance to your work/volunteerism/studies? Identity matters. Who we think we are and who others think we are can have an influence on all aspects of our lives. Think about the first time you became aware of your racial identity. What is the first thing that comes to mind?
Read: Explore this document to better understand the stages of racial and ethnic identity development.
Watch: Watch one or more of the short videos and reflections from the New York Times on racial identity in America.
- A Conversation with White People on Race (6 min)
- A Conversation with My Black Son (6 min)
- A Conversation with Native Americans on Race (7 min)
- A Conversation with Asian Americans on Race (8 min)
- A Conversation with Latinos on Race (7 min)
- A Conversation with Black Women on Race (6 min)
- How Diversity Shapes Multiracial Experiences (6 min)
Listen: Listen to this Stateside episode with Eddie Moore, Jr., executive director of The Privilege Institute, about the White Privilege Conference in Grand Rapids creating a space for people to have “tough conversations.” (8 min)
Journal: Journal about your own racial identity. You might consider:
- When did you first become aware of your racial identity?
- What messages did you learn about race from your school and family? Did they align with what you have seen in your life?
- When has how others perceived your racial identity affected how they treat you?
Discussion
How do you think about your racial identity and its relevance to your work/volunteerism/studies?
Think about the first time you became aware of your racial identity. What is the first thing that comes to mind?
- When did you first become aware of your racial identity?
- What messages did you learn about race from your school and family? Did they align with what you’ve seen in your life?
- When has how others perceived your racial identity affected how they treat you?
