How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Ibram is the Director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. He is among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. He has previously written STAMPED: Racism, Antiracism, and You in 2016.
Ibram asks readers to consider what an antiracist society could be in America today. This book certainly allows one to become a change agent. Yet the mountain to climb continues to be very high in America. Admittedly racism remains at the forefront of our society.
There are deep insights for many to learn from Ibram’s view that you either are racist or antiracist: there is no in-between. For the most part this is the key lesson of his book.
Ibram unquestionably illustrates, by hearing one state they are “non racist” actually means one still allows racist policies to continue. In addition Ibram points out, one’s ideology supports (knowingly or unknowingly) a continued racist policy or belief. That alone is a seemingly massive change for some readers. On the other hand, awareness is just as necessary for change to occur. Ibram certainly moves this learning forward to educate readers to the ingrained racism of our past and present.
The impact of Caste
Ibram clearly understands dynamic changes in society, along with our country’s history. However as a result of reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson I now understand racism differently.