Last term, I led a book group in reading How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, and it was one of the most profound experiences I’ve had so far on my antiracist activist path. I’ve mentioned this book before, and that it is basically required reading for beginning antiracists. It seems to have become a favorite among new, specifically white, racial justice advocates, and though the candid the shock and inspiration that white folks express about the mere existence of racism after reading the book can be irksome, I think it’s required reading for good reason! So, before you say “Ugh, another white girl thinking her book group fixed racism,” let me tell you why this reading group was so significant. Hear me out!
From the beginning of the group, I was most excited about the opportunity to shape my relationship with the group members and the group atmosphere overall into one of introspection, critical thought, and honesty. I wasn’t sure if that would be possible when I started the group and even started out a bit nervous to share instances of racism and racist thought I’d seen and experienced, but I was blown away with the group’s willingness to open up and learn.
Our group members spanned a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, and the majority were white women. We dug deep into the nitty gritty chapters and unearthed some of our own biases along the way. I guided discussion with questions and bullet points of some of the most significant parts of the chapters, and the group took it away from there. Rarely was there a moment of silence where someone wasn’t enriching discussion with deeper related knowledge about a facet of racism, grappling with a new belief, or coming to terms with the quiet yet insidious racism in the language of family members or old schools. In short— the group quickly created the very atmosphere I was so hopeful to enable them to construct!
And that is what was so important and beautiful about this group: we came together, people of different political, economic, and religious backgrounds to set our egos aside and learn, to bolster and support each other in rooting out racism in ourselves and around ourselves. How often do you see that? I sure don’t see that very often— instead I see Facebook arguments, seemingly futile conversations with stubborn folks close to us, and disheartening statistics. This group was more than just a book group. It was a true light of kindness and caring for society selflessly in the dark of those things I see all too frequently, a true inspiration and support along our journeys to make our world a more beautiful place to live.
I encourage you to find and/or create your own group of kind, yet different, people that you can converse constructively and critically with, so we can have a world with that many more open-minded participants in the group effort to create a better world.
I was involved in a similar group using the text Me and White Supremacy last summer. I agree with many of your impressions and the inherent discomfort and frustration as a do-er with not being given a TASK LIST or teach my how to "fix" this.