THE PROBLEM
People say and do racist things, sometimes knowingly, sometimes unintentionally. When we ignore these words and acts, we are saying they are okay. Ignoring racism allows it to continue. Ignoring racism is racism.
Speak up. For some this is easy to do. For others it can be uncomfortable or awkward. The aim of Speak Up Against Racism is to encourage people to speak up, and provide support and resources to make speaking up easier to do.
Respectfully. Directly. Without judgment or shaming. When we hear something that we believe is racist, we can say we’re not okay or comfortable with it. We can ask the person to help us understand why they said it. We can have a conversation, or not. We just can’t ignore it.
For suggestions and tips to help you speak up, please see the Resources page.
We can encourage our friends, family and community members to speak up against racism by doing it ourselves. We can also put Speak Up Against Racism signs in our yards, photo frames on our social media, posters where we shop or work, and magnets/stickers on our cars and phones, for example. We can host a get-together of our friends and neighbors to let them know what we’re learning and doing, and encourage them to join us.
CAN WE DO MORE?
We can take action. Racism is more than just an individual’s intention or ignorance. It’s woven into our culture and systems of education, employment, justice, and economy to name a few. The more we explore our own unconscious biases, the more we can recognize racism when we see and hear it. The more we learn about and question racism wherever we find it, the more effective we’ll be in fighting it. The more we advocate for equity and social justice in our local communities, workplaces, schools, elections, faith communities and donations, the shorter the fight will be.
