How I Can Help Undo Racism
• Commit to being part of the solution.
• Observe my own thoughts, reactions, attitudes, beliefs, words, being attentive to detecting prejudice and rationalizations.
• Seek opportunities to be in the minority in situations.
• Seek opportunities to build deep and lasting friendships with people and families of other races, to have them become part of my extended family.
• Listen carefully to the stories, ideas, concerns and modes of expression of others, without the need to counter, contribute, explain or correct anything.
• Observe situations in silence more of the time.
• If I feel defensive, be silent, hear it as their truth, don’t make it about me.
• Seek first to understand, rather than to be understood or to express my own views.
• Assume that I underestimate the pain and difficulties others have experienced in their lives, families and communities.
• Find and participate in an undoing racism workshop or retreat.
• Be courageous to stand up, to speak against injustice.
• Be a trustworthy ally.
• Become close friends to others, love their children genuinely. Do their children take my hand, come sit next to me, let me kiss them on the head?
• Be committed to sustaining friendships, don’t abandon or betray my friends.
• Recognize and celebrate those precious and growing moments where recognition of someone’s race isn’t the first thing I see about them.
• Apologize when I make a mistake.
• Find humor in situations, laugh.
