Meeting Facilitators: Dr. Melanie Wong, Dr. Kathryn Accurso, Sadia Shad, and Anastasia Zhuravleva
In this online meeting of LLED Antiracist Caucuses (IBPOC/Racialized Caucus & White Caucus), we will discuss dealing with racism denial. We will think about the various forms that racism denial could take and how we could respond to them.
Stimulus Text:
Please read the following article (approx. 6-mins read) before our meeting on Thursday, March 9th, 2:30-4:00 PM.
- The art of the denial: How racism deniers obscure the reality of racism, minimizing its significance by Dr. Phillipe Copeland (2023)
Optional stimulus texts:
- Regarding denial in organizations: The ‘Not Here’ Syndrome (approx. 11-mins read) by Dr. Charlice Hurst (2021)
- Regarding equipping youth to respond to denial: CBS interview of authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone on their book How to be a (Young) Antiracist (6:54 mins long)
Discussion Questions:
- Which types of racism denial particularly struck you? Why?
- If you are comfortable to share, discuss any experiences you have had with these types of denial in personal or professional contexts.
- Brainstorm additional responses you might add to the table in the stimulus text.
- One suggested response to denial in the form of minimizing is to “Offer broader, more accurate definitions of racism.” How do you define racism?
- How do you define antiracism? Discuss how different definitions might shape your response to different types of denial.
- Are there types of connections between the topics already discussed in the Anti-Racist Caucus (e.g., AI, teacher education) and denial of racism?