The Work of Anti-Racism as White Women with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz: Podcast Ep. 175

This is a conversation for white women about our role and privilege in a racist and white supremacist society and the work *we* need to do.

As Kamala Harris said in a recent tweet: “The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are not isolated incidents. They are the result of systematic racism that has existed for generations.”

I’ve seen on social media from white women that they’re uncertain and scared about what to say. 

Yes, it can feel risky to speak up, to say something, to not be silent.

But, silence also says something.

Our speaking up is *nothing* compared to the risk that Black women and men face every day. It’s the very least we can do – and it’s not enough.

Saying “I’m not racist” isn’t enough.

As white women, there’s much work for us to do to recognize how we benefit from and uphold racism – and then do something about it.

‘Ally’ is a verb, not a noun (as I’ve learned from Black women who do anti-racism education).

In this episode, Diane Diaz and I talk about the work of anti-racism as white women.

“Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.” – NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity – https://gradesfixer.com/blog/anti-racism-defined/

“Speaking Your Brand” is about more than your business and marketing message; it’s who you are and what you value – and what you explicitly tell and show to the world about what matters and what you’re willing to do.

Our starting place for our own work is the book Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad.

I highly recommend you purchase her book and work through it. We’re going to be doing so with our clients.

As white women, we need to:

• Recognize our privilege – and be willing to lose it
• Understand that we have unconscious bias
• Learn the history of how integral racial hierarchy and slavery were to the U.S. constitution and our capitalist economic system – and how it continues to this day
• Be aware of what’s going on in the news
• Call out racist talk
• Take risks, including potentially losing revenue and opportunities
• Listen and learn
• Speak up, but not over
• Be more than intentional – be explicit
• Lift up the voices of Black women and women of color
• Purchase from Black-owned businesses
• Direct people to Black women who are doing this work
• Vote for candidates who advocate for marginalized groups

We welcome your questions and thoughts about this episode. You can email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined by our top speaking coach Diane Diaz. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Through women’s stories and voices, we challenge the status quo and change existing systems to benefit more people. Learn about our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. 

Resources:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/175

Books & Articles:

• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
• “Recognizing And Dismantling Your Anti-Blackness” by Janice Gassam (Forbes article)
• “How Monique Melton Is Helping You Be An Anti-Racist” by Janice Gassam (Forbes article)
• “When Feminism Is White Supremacy in Heels” by Rachel Cargle
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Race by Robin DiAngelo
• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper
• I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
• How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America by Heather Cox Richardson

Podcasts & Videos:

• “Shine Brighter Together” with Monique Melton: https://www.moniquemelton.com/podcast
• “The Opt In” with Aurora + Kelly: https://abundanceprod.com/
• “Seeing White” podcast series on Scene On Radio: http://www.sceneonradio.org/tag/season-2/
• “5 Tips For Being An Ally” video by Chesca Leigh = https://youtu.be/_dg86g-QlM0 
• “Systemic Racism Explained” video = https://youtu.be/YrHIQIO_bdQ

Courses:

• Monique Melton’s Anti-racism 101 crash course
• Rachel Cargle’s #DoTheWork 30-Day course
• Andréa Ranae’s Rise Up: Visionary Business for These Times
• Trudi Lebron: https://www.trudilebron.com/letswork

Instagram:

• Janice Gassam = https://www.instagram.com/janicejnice/
• Layla Saad = https://www.instagram.com/laylafsaad/
• Rachel Cargle = https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/
• Monique Melton = https://www.instagram.com/moemotivate/
• Trudi Lebron = https://www.instagram.com/trudilebron/
• April Harter = https://www.instagram.com/racismrecoverycenter/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 162: Why We’re #ChoosingWomensVoices – and You Should Too with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz
• Episode 163: A Feminist Approach to Public Speaking with Carol Cox
• Episode 177: A Radically Different Approach to Understanding Racism with April Harter, LCSW