The anti-racism movement is gaining momentum in schools, universities, and all types of work settings. Institutional leaders are declaring that their missions are not only about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but about intentional plans for anti-racism. It took the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery to shake the national roots of racism in the United States into a new era of racial reckoning. These incidents coupled with reports of healthcare inequities during the COVID era particularly in Latinx, American Indian and Black communities, and the anti-Asian violence, require systemic, organizational responses.
What does the anti-racism movement entail? According to Ibram X. Kendi, director of Boston University’s Center for Anti-racist Research, it means addressing systems and policies that marginalize particular segments of society. Policy changes are required in hospitals, universities, governmental agencies, and all work settings to truly be fair, equitable, and inclusive. He states that often people are blamed as the problem when it comes to racism, but he contends that it is policies that inform practices — these need to change.
