Being Anti-Racist: Where to Start

by Freda Hobbs

∙ Jun 5 ∙ 2 Min Read

1. See Race

Make sure that you see race. Racism is baked into the soil of our nation. If you don’t see race, you fail to see the completeness of my experience as a human

2. Be an ally

I’m not a mom but I can support my mom friends while also recognizing that I’ll never know what it’s like to experience their unique challenges.

3. Empathize without co-opting

Don’t rush to liken your experience to ours. Yes, we’ve all had struggles but don’t take over the conversation in an attempt to empathize or relate.

4. Consume content that wasn’t made specifically for you

I’ve been doing this for decades. You’ll be fine. It does’t even have to all be deep. Just seeing black people being families or in love or struggling or succeeding will shift your perspective.

5. Be intentional about creating a system of checks and balances

Human nature is to tackle a problem and move on, but racism is systemic. You’ll need to put data in place to support your desire to create a new system. For example, commit to pending 30% of your dollars with black owned businesses and track your progress.