Impactful Inclusion Toolkit

ACTIVITY 36Acquire an Education on Race and Racism

“The next time you come across something that sounds too outrageous to be true, know that your instinct may be correct. Ultimately, it's up to all of us to think critically, do our research, and determine for ourselves whether a source can be trusted.”

—Rachel Hartman

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Musical genius Stevie Wonder was onto something when he sang this lyric from the song Superstition: “When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way.” We've all been trapped by beliefs of others that we didn't fully understand. Whether superstition, conspiracy theories, critical theories, advice from experts and self-proclaimed experts, even guidance from parents and teachers can leave us confused and uninformed. I wonder how many of us are unhappy in careers right now based on the counseling of people we respect because we didn't ask enough questions and approach the information with a curious mindset. When Islamic suicide bombers took their own lives and the lives of others on September 11, 2001, they may have been convinced that their martyrdom would result in sexual delights in the afterlife. Our perspectives are one-dimensional when we don't seek wisdom from various sources and more importantly sources that fall outside our circle. Otherwise, we simply believe and act accordingly in an echo chamber. Most White people that I encounter tend to underestimate the depths of racism and believe it to be a thing ...