Definition

Antiracism (sometimes spelled anti-racism) has its roots in abolition movements that sought/seek to overhaul structures and systems of oppression. The concept, as popularized by scholar Ibram X. Kendi’s 2019 book How to Be an Antiracist, involves a consciousness of the history, nuances, implications, and intricacies of racism. It’s not enough to just be “not racist,” Kendi and others say; the solution to racism is to be actively antiracist, for those with societal position and privilege to acknowledge it, inform themselves, and work to correct those disparities. The burden of education about racism and systemic inequities, in this view, should not rest solely on those most directly affected.

Additional resources

• What it means to be anti-racist (Vox)
• Being Antiracist (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Summary

Antiracism is active resistance to racist policies and practices. The burden of education about racism and systemic inequities, in this view, should not rest solely on those most directly affected.

Related terms

• anti-Black/anti-Blackness