You probably know I’ve been hyping creating a mindfulness practice for a while now. I strongly believe that basically everyone needs one if you live within the construct of capitalism. In part my enthusiasm comes from the fact that mindfulness is the only thing that has allowed me to actually come back to this work, attempt to rebuild my business, and survive posting literally anything online as an antiracist educator. 😮💨
Despite meds, therapy, exercise, policing the food i eat, getting better sleep… the ONLY thing that has allowed me to continue this work (or, more accurately, pick it back up!) is creating a mindfulness practice. Turns out, doing a bunch of research on all the horrific ways colonization and supremacy have destroyed entire civilizations isn’t ideal for one’s mental health. Creating a mindfulness practice has given my nervous system the bandwidth to come back to this work, avoid burnout, and know when to step away.
An anti-racism practice is very similar to a mindfulness practice. It’s setting aside some time to intentionally reflect, foster growth, and create a discipline.
So! Here are some easy ways to jumpstart your anti-racism practice.
First, write down some areas of your life that you want to focus on for your practice. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Personal
Friends & Family
Career
Parenting
Community
Finances
Education
Next, write 2-3 goals based on the areas of focus you chose. Some examples below.
Career:
research what kinds of barriers to entry exist for underrepresented folks in my industry and what people are doing to mitigate those barriers
set up meeting with boss/HR to discuss planning an anti-racism training for the team
find 10 Black, Indigenous, AAPI folks in my industry to connect with on LinkedIn
find and follow 15 underrepresented people of color in my field on social media
join an ERG and volunteer
Community:
find one Black/brown led organization to volunteer with once a month
sign up for email list to learn about local Black/brown organized events occurring that I can promote, sponsor, or provide support for
spend five hours a month at the sub/urban community garden
connect with three Black and brown owned businesses to promote on my social media pages
contact the city and find out how to support tree-planting efforts to mitigate heat islands in neglected neighborhoods
Personal:
Join an anti-racism book club
Donate 50% of quarterly bonus to Black and brown led mutual aid efforts
Use my lunch break every Friday to learn about anti-racism, watch a video, listen to a lecture, read a book
Visit a Black/brown owned business or restaurant once a week and invite a friend
share new Black or brown artists i discover to my friend group, group text, or online community
Finally, pick a regular, recurring time to follow through on your commitment.
Some of your goals might already be time-bound (volunteering, attending a lecture, when you get your tax refund in the US). Others will be easy to schedule (read a book by an author of color during my lunch break everyday). But some of them will take some intention (ask Meghan to get lunch at Nacheux next week.)
Then, all you have to do is show up.
Ok but seriously. And this is important. Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t pulling everything off perfectly, if you miss a day, if you miss a month. If you miss two or three months. It’s OK. Being kind to yourself is a prerequisite to this work. Because. I said so. ;) And because perfection will absolutely hijack your growth.
Love + reparations,
Tori
Want more? Go download your FREE copy of the White Homework Everyday Anti-Racism Journal. It’s full of challenging reflection questions and prompts to help you grow.