The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist’.– Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist
What is anti-racist teaching?
Anti-racist teaching is a deliberate commitment to create a learning environment that cultivates racial equality.
The goal of anti-racist teaching is for every person in the course to bring their full and true self to the class. Professors work to ensure everyone in the class is challenged to grow and change solely through explicit engagement in the course and not through implied, assumed, and/or unspoken expectations, ideals, knowledge, values, structures, and actions. Anti-racist teaching requires intentional focus on racial equality while also attending to other aspects of personal and social identities to facilitate the full engagement of everyone.
Anti-racist teaching requires ongoing and deliberate attention to course design and execution. The specifics of anti-racist teaching will differ in every course and section. The goal of this page is to provide resources to members of the St. Olaf community looking to implement anti-racist teaching.