For instance, you can tell them where the best local restaurants are or invite them over for dinner sometime. You could also go to a newcomer’s home with a gift like a fruit basket or a home-cooked meal so you can introduce yourself and welcome them to the neighborhood.
For example, if someone says “All _____ are criminals,” ask the person, “Why do you say that?” or “Where do those beliefs come from?"[4] X Research source Try saying, “That was an inappropriate thing to say. " or “How would you feel if someone said something like that about you?” Address the behavior or the comment instead of the person. Don’t resort to name-calling or tell someone, “You’re a racist. " This will only offend them and make them angry. [5] X Research source
At the same time, it’s important that you respect someone’s space. Don’t be too pushy or force your friendship onto someone. For example, you could grab a cup of coffee with a neighbor or just spend a few minutes chatting with them whenever you run into them.
Experiencing and celebrating other cultures is a great way to promote positive attitudes towards them. Events are often held in accordance with larger celebrations such as Black History Month, Asian-Pacific Heritage American Month, or National Hispanic Heritage Month.
For instance, if your local pool discourages people of color from joining, ask them to make an effort to make their facilities more inclusive.
For example, if someone puts racial graffiti on a building, you could get together with some people to paint over the graffiti. Even if you are not able to organize something yourself, just the act of speaking up and introducing the idea is helpful. Start by contacting your friends, family, classmates, and neighbors.
Get involved with a local, national, or international organizations. A few of the more well-known anti-racism groups include the International Committee Against Racism, Life After Hate, and United to End Racism.
Visit the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Multilingual Video Collection at: https://www. un. org/en/udhr-video/.
You can write or call your elected officials to ask them to change discriminatory laws.
You could volunteer for their campaign or make a donation to help support minority candidates.
Don’t pressure anybody to talk to you about how they feel about racism that they’ve experienced. Respect their wishes if they don’t feel comfortable. For instance, if your coworkers tell you that they don’t celebrate certain holidays and they feel uncomfortable participating in festivities, don’t force them. If you have a coworker who tells you that a joke is offensive to them, stop telling it to make them feel more comfortable.
For example, if your school has a haircut policy that discriminates against someone’s culture or religion, try to change it to be more inclusive. If your job doesn’t recognize a specific holiday that’s important to someone’s culture, ask management to change their policy.
An example of an anti-racist policy would be to promote or hire people of color as employees based more on their working experience rather than white employees based on their education or personal connections.
For example, you may not realize that you have exaggerated beliefs, negative images, or distorted truths about a person or group. Take the Project Implicit Hidden Bias Tests at https://implicit. harvard. edu/implicit/. You may feel defensive or upset when you read your results. Just take a deep breath and remember that you can change your attitudes and beliefs. Think about the racism you have seen, experienced, or contributed to.
Share your findings with someone from your same racial group if you feel comfortable, which can allow you to discuss your feelings without offending anyone else.
Examples of great books to read to better understand race include So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach by Tanya Maria Golash-Boza, and Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad. [21] X Research source Talk to people within your racial group about your attitudes and beliefs before you have cross-cultural conversations. Look up conferences and alliances that allow you to work out your own feelings before you begin the work. Educating yourself is the best way to change your attitudes and beliefs.
For example, don’t assume that all Black people have the same culture. Black can include people from Jamaica, North Carolina, and Nigeria.
Look online for recommendations of novels written by authors from other races. Additionally, watch TV shows and movies made and written by people of color to help inform your perspective as well.
Ignoring a person’s race could be offensive to that person. They may feel like you are ignoring an important aspect of who they are.
