Paradoxical Possibility
In her guest article for Princeton University Press’ Ideas series, Susan Sturm offers guidance on how to embrace anti-racism’s contradictions and move forward. She explains that race is both a category that fails to capture anyone’s full identity and a foundational feature of current social realities; a practice that both reproduces inequality and forges community among marginalized people. Embracing only one side of these tensions without finding a way also to pursue the other will likely leave underlying structures unchanged and alienate key actors whose participation is necessary to alter the status quo.
Read an excerpt below:
“Just as anti-racism seemed to be gaining momentum, the nation seems to be falling back into long-standing patterns of racial injustice and inequality. Contradictions built into our nation’s history, relationships, and institutions threaten once again to squelch efforts to confront racism. These obstacles and minefields loom particularly large these days, when the federal government has attacked programs that have been a mainstay of these efforts. It might seem inevitable that would-be change agents will remain stuck in a Groundhog Day-like trap of repeated failures.
The question of how to escape this trap has been at the heart of my life’s work with aspiring change agents who are trying to address racism. I have witnessed the replay of contradictions that have paralyzed change in predominantly white organizations as they struggle with how to become more equitable, inclusive, and effective. Should they directly confront issues of race in their environment or instead seek to address these issues indirectly? Should they work inside institutions to address racism or create pressure for change from outside? Should white people support change in their institutions from their positions of power or should they step back and empower those who are directly affected by racism?”
To continue reading, visit: https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/paradoxical-possibility-embracing-anti-racisms-contradictions