Work that White people can do to create a just world

Imagine you’re trying to learn calculus. You’re in a classroom with some students who’ve been doing high-level math for years, and others who’ve only learned basic addition. But no one can leave until everybody learns calculus. Oh, and by the way, the school building is on fire. #

The new book “Anti-Racism as Daily Practice” is intended to be a “container for learning,” its author says.

This is the picture Jennifer Harvey paints for readers of her bestseller ’ Raising White Kids ’ and her new book, ’ Anti-Racism as Daily Practice: Refuse Shame, Change White Communities, and Help Create a Just World. ’ Calculus, here, represents discussing racism. The calculus pros stand in for people who’ve had little practice talking about race.

The analogy — complete with licking flames to reflect urgency — aptly depicts this fraught moment in society.

‘We’re living in really difficult times,’ wrote Harvey in the opening of her new book. ‘Intense backlash against Black Lives Matter is ongoing. Efforts to ban books and suppress teaching of US history have roared through the nation.’

To create a just world, ‘We are going to make mistakes but we’ve got to build the skills so that we can all get out of the burning school.’

Harvey intends her new book to serve as a ‘container for learning,’ insisting that readers keep practicing while providing support and coaching around inevitable slipups. The book’s message is: ‘I’m going to walk with you in ways that help you be accountable. And I hope you’ll do the same for me.’

Author Jennifer Harvey says, ‘If silence about race is the norm, that doesn’t mean racism isn’t happening. If no one speaks up, racism is given a pass."

CNN: What do you mean when you say that everyone is ‘racially socialized’?

Jennifer Harvey: Race is everywhere in society, woven into our origins, policies, schooling and even where we end up living. Racial socialization determines the legacies we inherit, the generational teachings we pass down, how our families look, and how we talk to one another.

Racialization happens in all our lives. Being born with a specific race informs how we see the world and our place in it, shaping what we know about race and how we know it.

Socialization leads to traits like White silence. When people feel frozen and stuck, not knowing what to do when we see racism, White silence can lead to passivity.

CNN: What roles do shame and guilt play in White silence and passivity?

Harvey: White silence can send confusing messages that lead to shame. For example, if a grandparent says something explicitly racist but the parents don’t object, a child watching can internalize a racializing experience that leaves them feeling conflicted and with a deep-seated sense of unworthiness.

Shame arises when I recognize that, for reasons I did not necessarily choose, my life is embedded in systems and daily realities that give me more while allowing others to experience violence, harm and injustice.

White guilt is the sense that we, or our ancestors, have caused harm. When we act to change inequitable conditions, repairing harm helps us process White guilt, and takes away its power.

CNN: What do you mean when you write that race lives in our bodies?

Harvey: Human beings are embodied, in-the-flesh, material creatures. We recognize racial differences from an early age. When I walk into a room, the way I hold my body, use eye contact and whether, or even how, I smile can increase or decrease racial tension.

CNN: What prevents people who want to combat racism from taking action?

Harvey: There is a tension between the need for change and to engage in self-reflection to avoid causing harm or creating racist backlash. But the question becomes, what kind of action should I take?

The best way to take immediate action is to reach out to a people-of-color-led organization and offer help with something simple, like making copies. Instead of creating something new or giving advice, ask: ‘How can I be of service to work that’s already happening?’ If I just do what I’m asked, I’m unlikely to cause a lot of harm, and I’ll likely learn a lot about myself in the process.

When it comes to anti-racist practice, we need to be concrete about where we’re at, developmentally.

CNN: What concrete steps can people take to interrupt racism?

Harvey: Because even talking about race and racism can be difficult, it helps to find other people to help us practice. We can also learn from all the amazing resources out there.

Look for a group in your community that’s already working on these issues and ask if they’re taking volunteers. Too busy? Consider transferring some hours you’re currently investing in the well-being of others toward justice work that people are leading all over this nation.

We don’t have to do everything. It’s better to do something small and do it faithfully for a long time than it is to think, ‘I’m going to do something big!’ and then burn out.

CNN: How can we interrupt racism in our families?

Harvey: Step one: Enlist help from two people outside the family who can offer support. They can help me practice what to say, offer cheerleading, send me good energy while I’m trying things out and then check in with me afterward.

If silence about race is the norm, that doesn’t mean racism isn’t happening. If no one speaks up, racism is given a pass. Even saying, ‘I don’t agree with this. I don’t know how to talk about it. But I don’t like it’ changes dynamics. Speaking my values disrupts that status quo and opens the door to new conversations. It also models for the next generation alternatives to silence, which is vital.

Sometimes we learn that another family member is actually an ally. Now, we can help each other develop the skills, emotional strength and courage to speak up.

Family settings are some of the hardest places to interrupt racism; But practicing with family makes it easier to speak up in other spaces.

CNN: Why do you advocate for making anti-racism a daily practice?

Harvey: Over time, daily practices become part of our identity. Making anti-racism into a habit takes an intentional strategy with supports. Find specific, doable practices and enlist accountability buddies to encourage you to stay on track.

If you’re just starting out, pick two concrete goals for the next year and practice them over and over. If I spend two hours every week for a year as the only White person in a space with people, I am likely to see new skills emerge. Once you’ve integrated the decision-making steps, the habits become easy, and you’ll discover you see the world differently.

CNN: What does racism cost people?

Harvey: Racism costs us connection. Longstanding silences around something as consequential as racism reveals disconnection in our families and communities. My clunky, hard relationships with my own family aren’t perfect, but they’re deeper now than when I felt I had to hide part of myself and my values.

Ultimately, racism costs us the ability to be in relationships with other humans. Once I got to a point where I could participate in multiracial spaces without always making a mess, it brought to my life the beautiful connections that come when we embrace diversity.

Jessica DuLong