Striving Toward Racial Justice
Issue #5- Individual Racial Justice Work
TPCH released Striving Toward Racial Justice: A Call-to-Action for Pima County Community-Based Organizations, in partnership with the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women in November 2021. As we begin 2022, we are calling on community organizations and our housing partners to deepen our shared resolve to advancing racial equity. This email series provides a summary of key concepts and strategies discussed in the Call to Action and i packed with useful resources and tools to help community organizations as they strive toward racial justice.
In this issue, we introduce the third of 7 key actions defined in the Call to Action: Individual Racial Justice Work. This issue provides strategies and tools to address internalized bias and how it affects our interpersonal relationships.
Don’t miss our next issue in which we introduce Action 4 – Determining Desired Outcomes. Can’t wait? Click here to download the full Call to Action now.
Action 3: Individual Racial Justice Work
Addressing Internalized Bias and Interpersonal Relationships
Everyone holds biases and stereotypes which impact how we view other people, and the ways we work with our colleagues and our clients. Biases cannot be adjusted unless they are acknowledged. Organizational leadership should expect that individuals engage in the necessary internal and interpersonal work to address the biases they may have. Providing space, time and incentives for people to address their internal biases encourages members of an organization to shift their behaviors.
Check out this video from the New York Times to better understand implicit bias.
Recommended Strategies
Examine the ways that your personal identities inform your perspectives.
Consider the ways your implicit biases may impact how you manage others, receive feedback and/or service clients.
Acknowledge the ways that White supremacy may have provided advantages in your life if you are a White identified person.
Acknowledge the ways that you may have caused harm to other people as a result of racial bias, nationalism, or language discrimination.
Strive to continuously understand and disrupt your personal stereotypes.
Check your privileges in meetings and in other community spaces.
Develop an awareness of whose voices are forefronted/respected and whose are not.
Challenge the ways that you have been taught to interact with clients.
Disrupt the aspects of standard approaches that do not affirm underrepresented cultures.
Ask and be willing to wrestle with critical questions.
Consider the implications of relinquishing power.
Resources for Individual Racial Justice Work
From Cancel Culture to Collective Accountability: The Transformative Power of Nonviolent Communication
Brian Stout, Building Belonging
Implicit Bias Insights as Preconditions to Structural Change
john powell and Rachel Godsil, Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Intercultural Communication
Milton J. Bennett, Intercultural Development Research Institute
Project Implicit
Tony Greenwald, Mahzarin Banaji, and Brian Nosek, Harvard University
Running From Race in our Minds
Phillip Atiba Goff and L. Song Richardson, HuffPost
The Four Parts of Accountability: How to Give a Genuine Apology
Mia Mingus, Leaving Evidence
The New Science of Racial Bias Series
Greater Good Magazine, Science-Based Insights for a Meaningful Life, UC Berkeley
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Peggy McIntosh
Authors
It is with the upmost admiration, respect and appreciation that we thank the authors for their critical contribution to this call-to action. In addition to their daily tireless commitment and relentless dedication to achieving racial justice in our community, they lent their expertise and passion to the hopeful notion that local organizations are willing to better serve their clients and better support their staff. Each of you makes our community a more just place.
Claudia Powell
Casey Chimneystar Limón-Condit
Marisol Flores-Aguirre
Anna Harper-Guerrero
Mildred Manuel
Andrés Portela III
Claudio Rodriguez
DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALL TO ACTION
| WATCH THE VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE CALL TO ACTION |