What is Racism?

Racism is when people make assumptions and predictions about a person because of the color of their skin, appearance, cultural traditions and/or place of birth. In many cases, victims of racism are dehumanized and subjected to unfair treatment or expectations.

Racism limits our ability to connect with, relate to and form healthy relationships with our fellow human beings. It can cause severe trauma to those it impacts, including harming children, young people, families and aging adults. Racism can cause people to feel badly about themselves and experience symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, racism can engage our fear and survival responses for long-periods of time. In some cases, trauma from racism can lead to physical, mental and/or emotional illness. When this happens, racism can make a person feel disconnected and isolated from the community-at-large, which can lead to homelessness, poverty, addictions and worse. No one should ever have to feel this way.

Institutionalized

Institutionalized racism happens when it is the policy or practice of a group, business, organization or government to treat people differently based on the color of their skin, their cultural traditions or their place of birth.

Rejecting Racism and Dismantling The Race-Based Lens

The first step in rejecting racism is saying it’s not okay and helping ourselves and others to dismantle the race-based lens. The race-base lens is a viewpoint that attempts to quickly organize human beings based on their skin color, cultural traditions and/or place of birth into a single categories by “race”, such as Black, Brown, White, Asian or Native American.

The race-based lens assumes that people should be defined by their “race” rather than as a human being first. The lens also assumes it’s possible to predict the experiences, abilities, values, beliefs, skills and behaviors of people without knowing them at all. Worse, the lens encourages people to believe that “races” are inherently different, and that some are better or worse than others.

Ultimately, racism is based on a faulty concept – The belief that there are “races”. However, there is no universally accepted definition of race. In some places on Earth, race is defined by a person’s place of birth, the languages they speak, or even by their religion or other cultural traditions. In other places, race is defined by the level of pigment in one’s skin. Even racial categories used in the United States are inconsistent – White, Black, Brown, Asian, Native American, Hispanic/Latino. As you can see, some are based on skin color or appearance, and others are based on place of birth. 

The race-based lens creates a system of “permanent othering” and is an extreme form of oppression that can be placed upon oneself and others. 

Spectrum-Based View of Humanity

Why do we look different anyway?

Modern human beings can be traced back to single birthplace in what is now known as Ethiopia on the continent of Africa. Just like many people today, our human ancestors included explorers who wanted to travel the land and seas, as well as people who wanted to stay close to home. As our ancestors traveled throughout the Earth, their bodies, abilities and fascial features began to adapt to environmental and cultural changes. Over time, these adaptations caused us to look slightly different from one another depending on where we settled. At the same time our species was adapting and traveling on, similar species were evolving elsewhere on Earth. Our traveling ancestors often mated with these other species until our species, modern Human Beings, became the dominant life form on Earth.

Human Bodies

Today, human beings comes in all different shapes, colors and sizes. In fact, each of our own DNA (or genetic coding) is capable of expressing almost ALL the variations human beings we see around us. However, your brain and genetic coding have decided the way you are is the very best adaptation you need to reach your own unique highest and fullest potential, and to experience life on Earth. We each are a perfect creation of evolution designed specifically for us.

As human beings, we all have similar bodily features in common. For example, we all have levels of pigmentation (or coloring), skin oils, hair types, weights, heights and immune systems. Of course, each of these things are different and unique for each of us.

Skin Tone & Oils

Our skin provides a layer of protection against the elements and provides an important way for our body to heat and cool itself. As part of this process, our skin produces a variety of oils. Some people have less oils and some people have more. It’s entirely dependent on what our body thinks is best for us. Our skin tone, or the color of our skin, is determined by melanin. Melanin produces pigment, or coloration, which helps protect us from the sun and environment. The human body allows for many variations of melanin levels to adapt to the environment. Each of our bodies has chosen our skin tone because our bodies believe it is the best protection against the sun and environment for ourselves. If we were to have children, their skin color would like likely be similar to ours and/or our partner’s. However, because we possess the ability to pass on many forms of human DNA, it’s entirely possible for our children’s skin tone to be completely different than our own. Our skin color can range from various shades (or hues) of black, brown, red, yellow and white, to a complete absence of pigmentation. The level of pigmentation we have (or our complexion) can range from lightly pigmented to deeply pigmented. 

Hair Color and Textures

Hair is another common feature we share, though our ability to grow hair ranges from a complete absence of hair to full body coverage. Where we grow hair and how much is also dependent on our body’s response to the sun and environment. Similar to skin color, our hair color is determined by a level of pigmentation. Our hair texture and size also vary from person to person, and can range from completely straight to tight z-shaped curls. Despite all of the variations of our hair, many human beings begin to lose their hair as they age. In some cases, our hair coloring completely fades leaving our hair to appear completely gray or white.

Fascial Features

Each of us have facial features that include our eye shapes, nose and cheek bones. Just like our skin and hair, our fascial features have adapted to help protect us from the sun and environment. Our eye shape, nose and cheek bones are often directly influenced by the world around us. Our eye shapes can range from narrow and hooded to completely round and unhooded. Our noses can range from small and narrow to broad and full. Our cheek bones can be highly defined and visible, or subdued and immersed in our overall facial features. Each of these variations is designed to provide our own bodies with the best protection against the sun and environment.

Other Bodily Attributes

In addition to skin coloring, hair and fascial features, each of us has a height, weight and immune system. Adult height in human beings has ranged anywhere from less than two (2) feet tall to nearly nine (9) feet tall. Our weight ranges often depend on our ability to exercise, access to healthy foods and our body’s own ability to metabolize the foods we eat. Our immune systems, which also provide protection for our body, can range from minimally responsive to highly responsive depending on a variety of factors.

Cultural Traditions

All of us have cultural traditions. Cultural traditions are directly related to a geographic location at a certain place and time. They are closely related to the technologies, tools, arts and political ideologies in that place and at that time. Cultural traditions include the foods we eat, how we prepare our meals, and even the time of day we eat. They also include the music we create and enjoy, the languages we speak, how we speak, the values we prioritize, and the events and things we celebrate. Each of us are exposed to cultural traditions in our families of origin, and the places we grow up. However, we also have the ability to learn about other people’s cultural traditions and to make new ones for ourselves. Some people maintain and strict adherence to their cultures of origin, while others create new traditions from their exposure to a variety of cultures and their chosen traditions.

Place of Birth

All human beings are born somewhere. Where on Earth we are born can influence our body’s adaptations and our cultural traditions. However, because we can move around from place to place and learn about the cultural traditions of others, our place of birth does not define who we are or who we will become. 

Beliefs to Challenge

I believe there are different races of human beings.

Human First Lens

I recognize there is no universally accepted way to define “race”. I recognize there are nearly 8 billion of us, and that we all have different bodies, cultural traditions and places of birth. It’s exciting to see the many variations of human beings. I also know it only takes one generation for a person to appear completely different from their parents, to be born a different place from their parents, or to have entirely different cultural traditions from their parents. I can appreciate my own appearance, culture and place of birth, and I can appreciate the appearances, cultures and places of origin of those around me. 

Belief to Challenge

I only feel comfortable around people who look like me.

Human First Lens

Just like me, most people want to be seen and heard, and feel valued and appreciated. I can feel comfortable around all people by taking an interest in them, and sharing and expressing myself with them, too. I can have many things in common with anyone I come across.

Beliefs to Challenge

I make positive or negative assumptions about people based on their skin color, the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, or the language they speak.

Human First Lens

I know that I can’t tell very much about a person based on the way the look or how they appear. I can have general regard for everyone I encounter. If I want to get to know someone better, all I have to do is ask. I can relate to anyone on many levels.

Beliefs to Challenge

I use the phrase “one of the good ones”.

Human First Lens

I recognize there are people of all skin colors, cultural traditions and places of birth whose behaviors and actions I will not like. There aren’t “good ones” and “bad ones”. There are individuals I resonate and connect with, and those I don’t.

Beliefs to Challenge

When I’m telling a story about people, I often state the color of their skin.

Human First Lens

A person’s skin color or place of birth doesn’t really tell me much about who they are. If this comes up in a story, it should be relevant to the conversation.

Beliefs to Challenge

When I’m telling a story about people, I often state the color their skin only if they don’t look like me.

Human First Lens

I recognize that having a “default” visual of a person in my head can be damaging, and so I don’t need to distinguish this moving forward. I can set an example by using person-first, inclusive language.

Belief to Challenge

I find myself caring less about people who don’t look like me, or who come from someplace else.

Human First Lens

I can relate to any person on Earth because we all have similar joys and pains. If I’m having trouble connecting, I might need to ask additional questions so that I can connect with the person on a different level.

Belief to Challenge

I use or have used derogatory language to describe people.

Human First Lens

I know that using harmful language can hurt people’s feelings, and make them feel small. I don’t like that for me, and I wouldn’t like that for someone I care about. I don’t want that to happen to anyone else either.

Beliefs to Challenge

I have negative feelings towards people who don’t look like me.

Human First Lens

I have a neutral or positive view of people I don’t know. I recognize there is an opportunity for relationship with everyone I meet.

Beliefs to Challenge

I’m afraid of groups of people who don’t look like me.

Human First Lens

I realize that I can be nervous around groups if I’m by myself because simply because there are more people than me, and I don’t know all of the circumstances. I also recognize that a person’s appearance doesn’t predict their behavior. I can generally assume most people treat others with general regard – even when they’re in groups.

Beliefs to Challenge

I can trust people who look like me or share my cultural traditions.

Human First Lens

I realize I should always use the same amount of personal protection and boundaries whenever I’m around people I don’t know. I also recognize that a person’s appearance doesn’t predict their behavior or values.

Beliefs to Challenge

If I hear people speaking a different language around me, I should be afraid.

Human First Lens

If I hear people speaking a different language, I recognize it can make me feel insecure simply because I don’t understand what is being said. I also know most people tend to treat others with general regard, and that what’s being said most likely doesn’t impact me in any way.

Beliefs to Challenge

If I hear a racist joke that is about people who look a certain way, and I look different, I don’t have a right to say anything.

Human First Lens

I don’t have a right to be offended on behalf of someone else, but I do have a right to be offended by racism no matter who I am. I have a right to reject and interrupt racism whenever I see it.

Beliefs to Challenge

If I see someone in my neighborhood I don’t know, or who doesn’t look like me, I should call the police. 

Human First Lens

If I see someone I don’t know in my neighborhood, I can say hello and provide general regard to my fellow human being. 

If you have been a victim of racism, it’s not okay. You are a worthy and amazing person, and other people’s words and actions do not define you. It’s not okay for someone to have treated you this way. Racism can impact our connection to ourselves and to others. If you have unhealed pain and trauma, it may be time to speak with a counselor, coach or spiritual advisor. This can often help in regaining your own sense of self-respect, self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-confidence.

In addition, if you experienced racism in your place of employment, in housing, or at a place of public accommodations, you are not alone. Racism in these situations is illegal, and you can get support from a federal or state Civil Rights office. 

If you have come to realize you may have been racist towards someone, it can cause feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings remind us to take actions towards changing our thoughts and behaviors and to make amends or apologize whenever possible. How we learn and grow from our mistakes is what defines us. While we cannot change the past, we can commit to challenging our beliefs, viewing people as a human first, and treating all people with dignity and respect from this moment forward. 

Interpersonal

If we see racism occurring, it’s important to say it’s not okay. We can interrupt racism in any situation by calling attention to the issue and making a recommendation for a better approach. We can also provide additional context by explaining how racism impacts us personally and makes us feel.

Systemic

If the systems, policies or laws we encounter use a race-based lens, promote racism, or create disparities for people because of the color of their skin, their cultural traditions, or where they’re from, we can say it’s not okay, and work with others to create policies and systems that celebrate all human diversity, and are accessible and inclusive to everyone – with no exceptions.