I love being a Woman of Color! I’m so fiercely proud of my identity as a Punjabi, Sikh Brown girl! That being said, I’d also be the first to tell you that life can feel very hard when you consistently face racism and other forms of oppression.

As someone who has dedicated her life to social justice and disrupting racism, I’ve had a lot of white people ask me, “What does it feel like to experience racism?” So in this #ShineWithRitu video, I share how racism feels for me, as well as some helpful tips I use to settle my system, feel better, and take care of myself when the sting of racism particularly hurts.

Watch now!

For more videos on how to stand in your power as a Person of Color – and how to be a better ally as a white person – check out these playlists:
• Stand In Your Power
• Be Socially Conscious

The post This is How It Feels to Experience Racism appeared first on Ritu Bhasin.

Picture this: your child is telling you all about their day at school — what they learned, what they did with their friends, and more. Then all of a sudden your kid says something racist about one of their classmates.

You freeze up in shock and don’t know what to do. You’ve been trying your best to embody anti-racism in your parenting, and you’re surprised your kid made this comment. What do you do?!

In my inclusion work, parents often ask me for tips on what to do in these very situations. This topic comes up so often that I even did a webinar with one of the leading experts in this space, Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., which you can check out here. In my conversation with Dr. Moore, he noted that oftentimes we avoid talking to children about racism out of fear. But the very act of avoidance ends up reinforcing racial bias, racism, and more.

In order to disrupt racism and racial bias, we must call out racist remarks — especially when they’re made by family members, friends, and even our children.

So to help you better prepare for these instances going forward (and they may happen — kids are just tiny humans after all!), in this video, I share some practical tips on what you can do when your kid says something racist.

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The openness of elected officials in voicing hatred has opened the door to more visible white-supremacist activities, misogynistic behavior, homophobia, transphobia, and more — and unfortunately, this is just some of what we’ve seen.

But we’ve also seen the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements, which have inspired hope that we can create a better world despite everything that’s swirling around us.

What also brings me hope is the outpouring of “I want to stop this hate” messaging from people who want to do better to support those of us who are feeling the sting of oppression. As a diversity expert, I’m repeatedly being asked, “What can I do to help?”

I’m grateful for this because we need strong allies in the fight against hate, racism, misogyny, discrimination, and supremacy. It’s not enough — and, in fact, adds insult to injury — to have marginalized people carry the load when it comes to interrupting oppression. Allies are critical to creating real change.

But what does being an effective ally actually look like? Here are a few things you can do to better interrupt racism, hate, and discrimination with your own actions.

1. Love and Accept Yourself

I’ve talked about how self-love is a foundational building block for an inclusive world. I can’t emphasize enough how critical self-love is in healing our own wounds, which is the clutch for creating a more inclusive society.

At first it might sound strange that turning your gaze inward can create change for others. But here’s one of the most important messages I can leave you with: we hate others because we don’t love ourselves. We fear others’ differences because we fear our own differences. And ultimately, we don’t love ourselves and we fear our own differences, because others hate on us. It’s a vicious cycle that can only be interrupted by self-love. Only by loving ourselves unconditionally — which means embracing our own authenticity, including our differences — will we be able to recognize, understand, and value others’ differences.

2. Speak Less, Listen More

One of the most powerful things that you can do as ally is to listen when people share their experiences with oppression. And when I say listen, I mean the act of deeply taking in what others are sharing with you.

We need people to hear us, hear our stories, and hear about the impact. Many of us feel silenced and have had our experiences downplayed or minimized throughout our lives. Making room for our voices, really hearing what we say, and believing our truths is critical for both understanding and change. (Here’s how to listen in an effective way.)

Also, know that asking questions is a critical part of becoming a better ally. But before you start asking away, take the time to do your own learning about oppression. This way, you can ask questions from a place of some knowledge to deepen your understanding. And when you ask (respectfully, of course, and only when the other person is comfortable with sharing) be prepared to primarily listen and affirm.

3. Use Your Voice to Challenge Hate

An effective ally uses their voice to speak out against hate. When you observe racism, sexism, or other forms of oppression — be it overt or unconscious, with actions or words, at work or at home — speak out.

It’s not enough for people on the receiving end of hate to call it out. Those with power and privilege must step up to do this as well. Doing so can be a powerful learning moment for yourself and for others.

4. Interrupt Your Biases

Every single one of us, without exception, has biases. And we need to know what our own biases are so that we can work on them.

Interrupting and owning your own part in racism, misogyny, and other forms of oppression is critical, and by changing your own behavior, you help to interrupt forms of overt and systemic oppression. Every action matters to help dismantle supremacy.

Not sure where to start? I suggest Harvard’s IATS — an online tool that can be very eye-opening about the unconscious biases we hold about others, and about our own identities — or my Empower Page about identifying your biases.

5. Be Resilient and Have Humility

Even when you’re working your hardest to be an ally, you’re likely going to make mistakes. Somewhere along the way, you’ll probably end up saying or doing the wrong thing. (Happens to me all the time, and I teach inclusion for a living!)

Resilience and humility are key here. Acknowledge when you make a mistake, and apologize from your heart about the impact of your actions — but don’t let it stop you from continuing to learn and to support others. I’ve found that it’s important to approach each situation from the perspective of learning.

Sometimes we think that our individual actions alone don’t really matter or make a difference. But every drop in the ocean matters! Individuals really do alter the system, and by changing your behavior after today, your solidarity can make a difference.

The post 5 Things You Can Do to Be a Better Ally appeared first on Ritu Bhasin.

We are in the thick of a racial injustice crisis, and anti-racism and allyship have taken center stage in many of our newsfeeds and daily conversations.

In the midst of this, so many people are saying that they want to interrupt racism and that they care about fighting for social justice, but despite these great intentions, they don’t shift their behavior or they do so minimally, which can be an example of performative allyship.

Given the surge of this discourse, you may have heard this language: You’re either racist or you’re anti-racist.

This concept is a driving insight from Ibram X. Kendi’s excellent book How to Be an Antiracist where he writes, “One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist.”

While it may be hard to hear that you’re either racist or anti-racist and there is no in-between, it’s so important to understand what this concept actually means. And so in this video, I share the difference between racism and anti-racism and what you must start doing if you want to contribute to the fight against racism.

Watch now!

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As someone who teaches equity, diversity, and inclusion for a living, I’m worried about the proliferation of biased behavior in the midst of the ongoing global pandemic.

Because many of us have been sheltering in place for several months — and we’ve been actively encouraged to avoid physical contact with others — the current COVID-19 environment has become the perfect breeding ground for fear, uncertainty, and suspicion of other people, which is exactly what can lead to a rise in bias.

In this video, I explain why in the current moment, with the threat of COVID-19 around us, we might see more people than ever before as a threat, leading to an increase in bias. But I also share how we can overcome our unconscious fears to fight bias during this moment.

Watch now!

The post Alarming but True — Biased Behavior Will Increase Because of COVID-19 appeared first on Ritu Bhasin.

This is an incredibly stressful time. COVID-19 has resulted in a global health crisis, the unprecedented shift to working from home for so many of us, the adjustment to a lifestyle of physical distancing, and more much. We’re experiencing dramatic changes in a very short period of time.

While some of the social changes we’re seeing have been positive — YAY to increased care for our neighbors and communities and to virtual house parties with beloveds! — we’re also seeing ugliness and darkness. In particular, I’m thinking about the wave of racism that is being unleashed towards people from Asian (and Iranian) communities. This is particularly upsetting to witness at a time when we need to be actively practicing empathy and inclusion.

I recently did a video about how to call out racist remarks, and I wanted to expand on how to interrupt racism in the wake of COVID-19. So in this video, I give you concrete tools for being anti-racist during this time and I share a story I heard about COVID-19-related racism as an example of what we need to be looking out for.

Join me in calling out racism.

Watch now!

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Between countries closing their borders, containment areas being identified, major events being cancelled, and our loved ones being quarantined, to say things have been stressful would be an understatement.

For me it has been especially devastating to hear reports about COVID-19-related incidents of racism — in particular, racial bias directed towards people from Asian communities. Many of you have also recognized this and have reached out to ask me and my team what you can do to interrupt the racial bias you’re observing.

Here are three resources that will help you to interrupt racism, act as an ally for targeted communities and manage your stress levels in the current climate (and all are FREE!):

1. My COVID-19 Anti-Racism Tip Sheet

This tip sheet summarizes key strategies and tools that you can use to interrupt all forms of bias, but in particular, COVID-19-related racial bias. (Similarly, my consulting firm bhasin consulting inc. has also developed a session on how to be an ally in interrupting COVID-19-related racism. Please feel free to reach out if you’re interested.)

2. My Worksheets on Interrupting Bias

As you may have heard me say many times before, we are all both hardwired to engage unconscious bias and socialized to engage in bias, which is one of the reasons why biases are so prevalent. I have designed three worksheets to help you identify the biases you may be holding, understand how bias affects you, and learn how to shield against the negative impact of bias.

3. My Empower Page on Committing to a Self-Care Practice

Prioritizing self-care is critical for preventing stress, nurturing your well-being, and taking care of your mind, body, and spirit — all of which will assist you in interrupting racial bias. In particular, self-care will help you to be better positioned to interrupt your biases, to speak out against racist behavior, and to be less activated in managing stress during this time.

Regardless of who you are, this is a stressful time! It’s also a time where hate can proliferate. But we can all contribute to reducing the social harm of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to be inclusive and to practice anti-racism.

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