How to be an Antiracist · Aperio book club
This month, the Aperio book club discussed How to be an Anti-Racist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. The book was written last year and became a national bestseller earlier this year following protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that our conversation came at a moment of frustration for our country. The day before our book club gathering, we learned about the lack of justice for Breonna Taylor. The importance of working on being an anti-racist is not theoretical—it is unquestionably real, and it is urgent.
We also acknowledged that the nonprofit industry as a whole, and fundraising in particular, struggles with racism. As leaders in this space, it is incumbent on us to do anti-racist work. With that in mind, our book club allowed everyone to participate in a small group discussion and to have the opportunity to really dig into the book. We felt that this was an especially important book for everyone to feel empowered to speak about.
The central premise of the book is that people are not either ‘racist’ or ‘not racist’; rather, they either support racist policy or antiracist policy. Dr. Kendi writes:
“What’s the problem with ‘not racist’? It is a claim that signifies neutrality. ‘I am not a racist, but neither am I aggressively against racism.’ But there is no neutrality in the racism struggle. The opposite of ‘racist’ isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘antiracist.’ One either endorses the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist or racial equality as an antiracist.”
As fundraisers, we were looking at the book through the lens of what we could pursue anti-racist policy and practices in nonprofits and in philanthropy. However, our events are open to everyone, and this conversation brought together people from many walks of life. The audience was a diverse group that featured everyone from a teacher in Indiana to a Miss USA contestant in Chicago to a woman in the French countryside whose daughter had given her the book as a gift.
While the backgrounds of the attendees varied, everyone showed up with open minds and big questions. Attendees agreed: No matter your background, this book held something new for you. Dr. Kendi tells stories and explains racism in a way that puts words around experiences few of us can describe.
A theme across our discussion groups was: What are you personally doing to be anti-racist?
Our biggest takeaways from our discussion were:
Saying that you are ‘not racist’ is not enough. And saying that you are ‘anti-racist’ is not enough. This work is about action, and there is always more work that can be done to be anti-racist.
Words matter. Dr. Kendi emphasizes precision in our definitions and lays out a clear vocabulary for us to learn. It’s increasingly clear that having a productive conversation about racism requires a common understanding of terminology.
The reality of systemic racism in America is rampant, bleak, and ongoing, but there is hope. Dr. Kendi ends his book on a hopeful note. He believes that we can defy the odds, heal society of racism, and create an anti-racist society.
If we want to see justice and equity in the world, anti-racism is our daily work—in ourselves, in our families, in workplaces, in our communities, in our country, and in our world. If you are looking for resources to advance your own anti-racist efforts, we encourage you to add How to be an Anti-Racist to your reading list. We would love to hear what you think.