Why Being “Not Racist” Isn’t Enough

As I sit to write this blog post during Black History Month, I am reminded of all the people that continue to face the unfair burdens of injustice on a daily basis. I hope that we always take a moment of reflection to analyze our privilege, our proximity to systems of oppression, what we do (whether consciously or subconsciously) in our everyday lives to contribute to those systems, and how we will undo them. The fight for justice is a continuous one and one that we must recommit ourselves to every single day. What are we doing to ensure that our members have a deep understanding of racism’s historical roots and the importance of racial equity in our contemporary moment?

While I understand (to a certain extent) the argument that we must work across party lines if we want to get things done, I believe that we are at a critical point in our nation’s history. People’s lives are at stake every day in this country and just because something is bipartisan on the surface does not mean it is inherently a good thing for all. We are being intellectually dishonest when we claim that the effort to be bipartisan affects all individuals in the same way. It doesn’t. People’s lives are at stake every day in this country and many times, this desire to be bipartisan simply continues fueling things like structural racism and oppression.

I fundamentally believe that those who have been the most oppressed and have experienced the most pain must be the ones closest to the power. I hope we all continue fighting for the justice and reform we so desperately need. Even as I write that last sentence, I question whether or not reform even really is the answer, because I do not see how we could begin to reform systems that were built to oppress us from the very moment they were created.

It is simply not enough to be “not racist.” If we as individuals and as an organization are not entrenched in an anti-racism mindset, then what are we doing? Whose voices are we leaving out of the conversation? Who are we alienating with our actions? With this mind, I truly believe that we must be fiercely committed not only to justice, but to dealing with systemic and institutional racism head-on.