Week 7: Anti- Black Racism & Society

Dec 3

Written By Jemm Stone

Block One

Session Theme: Emotional well-being

Learning goal:

Participants will examine their emotions
Participants will be able to identify constructive ways of naming and managing complex emotions

Meditative Questions:

How do you handle heavy emotions?
What do you do to regulate your emotions?
How do you manage emotions?
Do you have any emotions you do not like to experience?
Do you express your emotions?

Block Two

Theme: Exploring Anti-Black Racism

Learning goals:

Participants will be able to identify the root causes (the why) of everyday anti-black racism, including subtle micro-aggressions.
Participants will be able to identify the adverse effects of white privilege.
Participants will be able to identify the many forms of anti-blackness within our communities.
Participants will be able to identify the different manifestations of anti-Black racism.

Major Takeaways

- White privilege creates oppression

- Micro-aggressions result from anti-Blackness and allow white people to avoid accountability for their words and actions.

- Colorism, featurism and textism are forms of anti-Black racism that exist abundantly within our communities

6 Manifestations of Anti-Blackness:

Surveillance & Invisibility
Criminalization & Pathologization
Differential Use of Policy & Procedure
Erasing Culture & Identity
Most Intrusive vs. Least Intrusive
Racist Stereotypes & Assumptions

Key Words

White Privilege: inherent advantages possessed by a white person based on their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice (Google Definition)

Oppression: prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control (Google Definition)

the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control (Google Definition)

Equality: the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities (Google Definition)

Equity: the quality of being fair and impartial (Google Definition)

Intersectionality: the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage (Google Definition)

Microaggressions: indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group (Google Definition)

A statement, action, or incident is regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group, such as a racial or ethnic minority. (Google Definition)

Colourism: prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. (Google Definition)

Featurism: “The name (created by Tee Noir) for the idea that Eurocentric features (slim nose, high cheekbones, and loose curls) are more favourable than Afrocentric features (coily hair, wide nose, dark skin)” (Urban Dictionary)

Texturism: The idea that only black women with hair that is loose or has well-defined curls (3A, 3B, and 3Chair) are beautiful (Urban Dictionary)