Anti-Racism Dialogue and Action Resources

IMPACT Chicago board members, instructors, staff, and volunteers have been engaging in dialogue about anti-racism. For our first dialogue, we addressed questions about anti-racism, social justice, and organizational priorities based on our varying knowledge of IMPACT Chicago as an organization and our varying activist experiences as part of organizations with explicitly stated anti-racism missions. For our second dialogue after reading, watching, and listening to a common set of materials representing a range of perspectives, we will come together to share what we've learned and to identify and choose specific actions. 

I identified and organized numerous articles, blog posts, videos, and podcasts that I have found compelling and informative. I've organized the material in categories to remind us of the multiple layers of work to do.

• shared vocabulary and language
• dimensions of racism (institutional, structural, interpersonal, and internalized)
• importance of both dialogue and action. 

Board Member and Workshop Leader Tara Brinkman, Board Member Denise Loyd, and Admin Team Co-Leader and Lead Instructor Martha Thompson also suggested content.  Board Co-Chair and former suited instructor Bruce Brio, Board Member and Workshop Leader Deb Mier, and Martha Thompson helped me winnow down the rich number of available materials to a manageable size for pre-work. I hope you find these resources and their organization useful.

Lisa Amoroso, Coordinator for Dialogues 1 and 2

Admin Team Co-Leader and Workshop Leader

Shared Vocabulary & Language 

1. What makes something racist?, Ibrahim X. Kendi, vid 6:14

2. Why you should stop saying All Lives Matter Explained 9 Different Ways, read all or just a few, #3 is hilarious, <15m read/watch

3. Dismantling the 4 Dimensions of Racism (article can be read in full or read the section titled “The Four Dimensions of Racism,” <8m read)

Dimensions of Racism

Four Dimensions of Racism: Dimension 1 - Institutional

1. Let's get to the root of racial injustice, Megan Ming Francis, vid 19:37

2. #OscarsSoWhite and The Legacy of Halle Berry, vid 18:43

3. When Calling the Po-Po is a No-No, Karen Grigsby Bates, podcast 4:37

Four Dimensions of Racism: Dimension 2 - Structural

1. You want a Confederate Monument?, Caroline Randall Williams, <7m read

2. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, Ep. 1, Emmanuel Acho, vid 9:27

Four Dimensions of Racism: Dimension 3 - Interpersonal

1. What’s Up with Chicks in Science? Neil DeGrasse Tyson responds, vid 3:32

2. A trip to the Grocery Store, Joy DeGruy, vid 3:56

Four Dimensions of Racism: Dimension 4 - Internalized 

1. We all have implicit biases. So what can we do about it?, Dushaw Hockett, vid 12:00

2. How to overcome our biases, Verna Myers, vid 17:37

Anti-Racist Work in Empowerment-based Self-Defense

1. Black Lives Matter, Martha Thompson, IMPACT Chicago blog, 2017, <3m read 

2. Addressing Stereotypes and Social Inequality in Self-Defense Priya Nelson, IMPACT Chicago blog, 2020, <7m read

3. Self Defense in a Racist World, Linda Leu, IMPACT Bay Area blog 2020, <3m read 

A Guide on Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans, The Derm Review

Financial Literacy in the Black Community, Rachel Christian/Lee Williams, Annuity.org

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

• We need to talk about an injustice, Bryon Stevenson, vid 23:26

• Intersectionality, Kimberlé Crenshaw, vid 6:41

• Why Color Blindness will NOT end Racism, Franchesca Ramsey, vid 5:36

• Prisoners who can’t vote, NPR podcast 6:06

• Stereotype Threat, Claude Steele, vid 8:18

• Racial bias in pain assessment, Hoffman, Trawalter, Axt, & Oliver, 2016 research abstract, <4m read

• HBR article on African American Inequality in the United States.

• Article about domestic violence and the impact of language - corollary to how language of personal safety might contribute to less funding for SD and prevention. 

• WNYC Interview with Suzanne Plihcik - Offers a more elaborated definition of racism (from 6:41 to 7:20) and then touches on definitions of anti-racism and white beneficiaries within our current system. This entire segment is 23 minutes.

• White Privilege (article)

• Intersectionality (article)

• Uncomfortable Convos with a Black Man, Seeing Color, Ep 3, Emmanuel Acho, vid 9:55

• Uncomfortable Convos with a Black Man, Reverse Racism, Ep. 4, Emmanuel Acho, vid 7:24

• Media Bias

• What kind of Asian are you? 

• How to be Anti-Racist

• https://www.100yearhoodie.com/why

• 97 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice 

• The Truth About the Confederacy in the United States, Jeffery Robinson, vid, 75:00

• Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community.

• Angry Black Woman & Well-Intentioned White Girl by Amoke Kubat (2 person play available for purchase on Vimeo)  

• Podcasts (edit from original post to add source of podcasts)

• Listen to historical and contemporary podcasts on race (in alphabetical order)*

o    1619 by the New York Times

o    About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

o    All My Relations hosted by Ma

o    Code Switch by NPR

o    The Diversity Gap hosted by Bethaney Wilkinson

o    Intersectionality Matters! Hosted by Kimberle Crenshaw

o    Lynching in America by the Equal Justice Initiative

o    Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast

o    Seeing White by Scene On Radio

o    Still Processing hosted by Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham

o    #TellBlackStories, extension of Color of Change Hollywood

o    The Stoop hosted by Leila Day and Hana Baba 

o    Witness Black History by BBC World

*added source for podcast 

Should I Yell Fire? A Self-Defense Question

IMPACT Chicago defender setting a boundary

“Should I yell ‘fire’ instead of ‘help’?” I hadn't heard anyone ask that question in years and then in the space of a few weeks, it came up in two self-defense workshops. 

This is a question that has been answered before by Empowerment Self-Defense instructor Lauren Taylor in “Should I Yell Fire,” but because it is still out there as a possible self-defense response to sexual assault, I'm going to address it, too.

Are there circumstances under which yelling “fire” might be an effective self-defense strategy?

Empowerment self-defense training is not memorizing a list of “shoulds;” instead, it involves learning a range of tools and practicing using those tools while assessing situations, the context, and the people involved. In other words, there’s no formula of “if this happens, then do this….” 

So with empowerment self-defense, the question becomes not “should I yell ‘fire’?” but “are there circumstances under which yelling ‘fire’ might be an effective self-defense strategy?” 

It is not common or typical, but there may indeed be circumstances under which yelling “fire” might be an effective self-defense strategy. It would depend upon an individual assessing what's happening, what they want to happen, making a decision about whether yelling is the best strategy in their circumstances, and, if so, what words or phrases will get the response they want. 

It’s important to note that, no matter which tools you choose to use or not use, no matter what, you are not responsible for another person’s behavior: if they violate your boundaries, they are responsible. 

Why yelling “fire” is not typically a tool offered in an Empowerment Self-Defense program

Voice is one of the most versatile tools presented in empowerment self-defense programs. An important facet of that tool is specific messaging: communicating to the person attacking you, others, and/or yourself your assessment of what is happening and/or what you want. 

Yelling “fire” if you are experiencing sexual violence does not communicate to the person attacking you, others, and/or yourself your assessment of what is happening and/or what you want. However, there are words or phrases you can use that say what you want, don't want, or name the violence, such as:

No!

Leave me alone!

That is harassment! Stop!

What you are doing is assault! Don't touch me again!

Another facet of voice is volume. People are most likely to sexually assault someone they know, and their aggression often begins with minor boundary violations and then increases. Likewise, your response to these violations may begin quietly, then grow louder. So I recommend a message that is not only specific, but will work at any level of violation and at any volume. Saying “fire” softly is unlikely to convey the message that a behavior is unacceptable, whereas statements like “No;” “leave me alone;” “that is harassment, stop;” or “what you are doing is assault, don't touch me again,” whether said soft or loud, send a clear message.

Martha Thompson

IMPACT Chicago

Lead Instructor and Admin Team Co-Leader

Thank you to Amy Harmon for her editing of an earlier version of this post.

IMPACT Chicago Response to Coronavirus, Update: July 2020

We continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and are keeping a close eye on official information and guidance from the CDC, the State of Illinois, and the City of Chicago. We will fully comply with Governor Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan for re-opening, as well as any requirements issued by the City of Chicago's COVID-19 Recovery Task Force. We are committed to providing a safe space for participants and staff in our programs. 

As of now, in-person IMPACT programs and workshops have been canceled through July 31. We are currently exploring online options, as well as a possible return to in-person programming at outdoor venues only. As official information and guidelines are updated and affect our program offerings, we will send updates to program participants and to our entire community via email, on our website, and through our Facebook page.
 
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@impactchicago.org or send us a message via Facebook  and your inquiry will be routed to the best person to answer your question.

Student Philanthropy Initiative Funds IMPACT Chicago Project

The Student Philanthropy Initiative (SPI) at Latin School has awarded IMPACT Chicago a grant to collaborate with existing organizations to bring our programs to people in Uptown who are moving from one life circumstance to another. Our priorities are people who identify as women or girls and are moving into middle school, high school, college, or the workforce; people who identify as women or girls and have experienced violence and human rights violations; and people of all genders with intellectual/developmental disabilities who are moving into independent living and/or the workforce. 

Once we are again offering unrestricted in-person programs, a staff member or client/participant from an Uptown Center organization will take the Core Program or IMPACT for Girls and then assist with on-site workshops we will offer to staff, clients, and volunteers. In the meantime, we are developing a plan for alternative ways to offer programs before we return to unrestricted in-person programs. 

Thank you, Student Philanthropy Initiative!

 

Get to Safety: Alternatives to 911

IMPACT Chicago teaches a verbal shorthand to defenders as a way to navigate the moments after the mock aggressor is knocked out but before leaving the situation.

 

In the early days of IMPACT Chicago, we encouraged defenders to check out the larger environment ("Look"), make sure the aggressor remained knocked out ("Assess"), shake off adrenaline with a loud "NO," and then get to safety and get support ("911"). 

 

One way in which IMPACT Chicago has since examined our biases and revised our approach is changing the way we handle getting to safety after an attack.  Yelling "911" was based on good intentions but didn't reflect the experiences of people of color, people with disabilities, transgender, and gender non-conforming people with the police. In particular, the guiding principles of Black Lives Matter, Mariame Kaba No Selves to Defend, and a multitude of deaths and injuries of Black people in police custody underscored the necessity of revising our shorthand.  As a result, several years ago we changed “911” to "Get to Safety" or "Walk to Safety."

 

The change to "Get to Safety" is consistent with our commitment to expanding people's choices and not offering a formulaic approach to self-defense.  Everyone has benefited from this change because it places the emphasis on defenders making choices based on their assessment of themselves, their relationship with the person(s) targeting them, and their knowledge of the situation they are in – and not on assumptions about what safety is for all.

The decision chart "Steps to Ask Yourself Before Calling the Police" is a helpful guide for questions to ask to assess what is best for yours and others' safety.

Martha Thompson

IMPACT Chicago

Lead Instructor

Admin Team Co-Chair

What Is Self-Defense in a Racist World?

In "Self-Defense in a Racist World," IMPACT Bay Area Executive Director Linda Leu addresses how without a commitment to anti-racism, defenders can twist self-defense tools into weapons that support white supremacy. She focuses on strategies to keep ourselves safer and to challenge racism. For important details, please read her full blog post. Here are some topics:

• Distinguish intuition and implicit bias
• Learn adrenaline management
• Practice awareness and threat assessment
• Commit to unlearning implicit bias

Thank you, Linda!

Empowerment Self-Defense Training is Sexual Assault Prevention

Much of the research published on Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) has focused on young people in college or younger. In "Empowerment Self-Defense Training in a Community Population" Psychology of Women, Jocelyn Hollander and Jeanine Cunningham compared women who took an Empowerment Self-Defense course with a comparable group of women who did not take the course. The participants ranged in age from 18-77.  

In comparison to women who did not take an ESD course, those who did reported: 

• less sexual assault, including unwanted sexual intercourse, one year later
• greater self-defense efficacy
• more accurate knowledge about sexual assault and the possibility of resistance
• less self-silencing than those who did not take the course

Hollander and Cunningham make the case for Empowerment Self-Defense programs to be part of  comprehensive community efforts to  prevent violence against women. They make it clear that even though ESD training reduces women's risks of sexual assault, it does not mean that women are in anyway responsible for stopping or preventing violence. 

Hollander,  Jocelyn A. and Jeanine Cunningham. 2020. Empowerment self-defense training in a community population. Psychology of Women 1-16.