How to Be an Antiracist (One World Essentials)

by Ibram X. Kendi

Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.

To be queer antiracist is to see that policies protecting Black transgender women are as critically important as policies protecting the political ascendancy of queer White males.

I am not a defender of Black people if I am not sharply defending Black women, if I am not sharply defending queer Blacks.

An activist produces power and policy change, not mental change. If a person has no record of power or policy change, then that person is not an activist.

We do not have to be fearless like Harriet Tubman to be antiracist. We have to be courageous to be antiracist.

The history of racist ideas is the history of powerful policymakers erecting racist policies out of self-interest, then producing racist ideas to defend and rationalize the inequitable effects of their policies, while everyday people consume those racist ideas, which in turn sparks ignorance and hate.