THE CHALLENGE IS REAL

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Equity Challenge Archive

The Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge series, powered by United Way of Delaware (UWDE), Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative has been an annual event since 2020.

Review these topics to get an overview of what the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Challenges covered each day. Use these links if you’d like to look back or review at any point!

2023 Challenges coming soon!

Quarter 1 – Internalized Racism

DAY 1: What is Internalized Racism?

What is Internalized Racism?

 

In order to properly address racism around us, we need to develop an understanding of what goes on in our own heads first. It is only after this that we will be able to transfer our efforts outward and make a true difference in the lives of those around us. First, review our definition of internalized racism for the day.

Internalized Racism: A set of privately held beliefs, prejudices, and ideas about the superiority of whites and the inferiority of people of color. Among people of color, it manifests as internalized oppression. Among whites, it manifests as internalized racial superiority.

 

  • Challenge #1

What is Internalized Racism (11 Minutes)

Video Description: What is internalized racism, how does it affect racialized communities and how does it continue a structural advantage of privilege?

Host Farah Nasser chats with University of Toronto professor Girish Daswani, as well as writer and communications professional, Gelek Badheytsang about internalized racism, how some people of colour can develop self-hate for their own community, and how to unlearn it. Click here to watch.

 

 

  • Challenge #2

The Battle to Be Me: How Internalized Racism Impacts People of Color in America (15 Minute Read)

This article explores the messages people of color receive from the dominant culture and the negative impact it has on self-conceptualization.

 

  • Challenge #3

Lessons on Internalized Racism (9 Minutes)

Video Description Via YouTube:  Community leader, activist and educator Jabari Lyles discusses his personal journey to understanding and loving himself as a Black man, in spite of growing up among a predominantly white community. Jabari Lyles is an educator, nonprofit leader and community leader in Baltimore, Maryland. His work focuses on positive outcomes for youth and the LGBTQ community, especially LGBTQ youth of color. He is currently Director of the Maryland chapter of GLSEN, the leading national organization championing LGBTQ issues in K-12 schools. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.



DAY 2: Addressing Our Internal Biases

After learning about what internalized racism is, it is time to take the next step of considering what internalized biases we may each hold. To do this, we ask everyone to take the implicit bias test below if you have not already. Following this, please utilize the resources provided to learn more about your biases.

 

  • Challenge #1

It’s About Time We Challenge our Unconscious Biases (15:41)

Watch this video to listen to a call to action from Juliette Powell, a highly accomplished entrepreneur, community catalyst, and author, as she discusses the need to challenge our unconscious biases.

 

  • Challenge #2

*Implicit Bias Test* (Approximately 12 Minutes)

Take the “Race IAT” test from Harvard University to learn what your own implicit biases may be, and what they can mean.

 

  • Challenge #3:

White People: Let’s Start by Understanding our Own Biases (7 Minute Read)

Read this article from UC Berkeley grad and former CNN writer Sara Grossman, as she discusses biases that White People can experience, and how to address them.



DAY 3: How to Dismantle Racism

  • Challenge #1

Dismantle Bias (3 Minute Read)

Read this article to learn how to spot and break down harmful bias in yourself and your community.

 

  • Challenge #2

Responding to Racism During the COVID-19 Outbreak (5 Minute Read)

This article details methods of responding to racism during the COVID-19 outbreak, a time of heightened anxiety for many.

 

  • Challenge #3

Three Starting Principles in the Dismantling Racism Process (4-minute Read)

Read this piece to see how personal identities and values can play into the role of developing basic principles for dismantling racism, through a Christian perspective.



DAY 4: Addressing Our Unconscious Biases

  • Challenge #1

How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias (17:23)

Excerpt from Video Description via YouTube: Author, speaker and CEO, Valerie Alexander, explains how the human brain instinctively reacts when encountering the unexpected, like saber-toothed tigers or female tech execs, and proposes that if we have the courage to examine our own behavior when faced with the unfamiliar, we can take control of our expectations, and by doing so, change the world. Click here to watch.

 

  • Challenge #2

Recognizing and Dismantling Your Anti-Blackness (3 Minute Read)

Read this article to learn about ways that you can interrupt anti-black bias in your everyday life.

 

  • Challenge #3

Strategies to Address Unconscious Bias (1 Minute Read & 2 Minute Video)

Read this article to get insight into individual and institutional strategies to address unconscious bias, as well as a video providing further explanation.

 

DAY 5: Self-Reflection Day

Congratulations! Today marks the conclusion of this quarter’s training: addressing internalized racism. For today’s challenge, we ask you to reflect. You want you to think back on what you’ve learned so far, to look over any past notes that you’ve taken, and to think deeper. To aid in today’s reflection we ask that you watch this video on internalized racism.

 

Think of how the concepts you’ve learned apply in your personal life and answer the following questions:

 

  •       What have you learned? 
  •       What haven’t you previously considered?
  •       What different kinds of internalized racism have you experienced or observed?
  •       What actions can you take to address internalized racism within yourself? (use today’s video to shape your answer)

·        How can you show up for colleagues who have internalized racism?

 

Black History Month

Why We Celebrate Black History Month
National Black History
Black History in Delaware
Teaching Black History in Schools
Black History 365

National Criminal Justice Month

Police Brutality 
School to Prison Pipeline
The War on Drugs
Race in the Court System
Police Reform

Fair Housing Month

The Current Situation
The History – How did we get there?
How has inequity in housing impacted wealth?
How has inequity in housing impacted health?
The Solutions

Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American & Pacific Islanders in the US
The History of Asian American Racism in the US
The ‘Model Minority’ Myth and Why it is Harmful
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Asian American Hate
How to Support Asian Americans

Wealth Creation Month

The History of the Wealth Gap in Black America
Reconstruction & Black Wall Street
Drawing the Line on Housing in America
The Race for Equity & Equality
Closing the Wealth Gap

Health Equity

What is Health Equity?
The Costs of Health Inequity
Mental Health
Healthcare & Health Insurance
Call to Action

Education Equity

What is Education Equity?
Look Into the Past to Understand the Future!
How Important is Representation in Education?
The Long Road to Education
Are Tests Equitable?

Hispanic/Latinx Month

History of Hispanic/Latinx in America
Data Disparities in the Criminal Justice System
The Importance of Latin American Culture in America
Hispanic Identity in the US

Minority LGBTQ+ Issues

A War on the Transgender Community
LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
Criminalization of the LGBTQ+ Community
Multiple Minority Stress
Coming Out

Native American/Indigenous People Month

The History of North America’s Native Peoples
Voices of North America’s Indigenous People
Current Injustices from Past Unjust Actions
Whose land is it?
The Indigenous People of Delaware

Universal Human Rights Month

What are ‘Universal Human Rights?’
Declaration of Human Rights
Human Rights Day
Equality – Reducing Inequalities, Advancing Human Rights
How Can I Observe Human Rights this Month?

21-Day Racial Equity Challenge tracking-log. The tracking log gives you space to write your thoughts throughout the Challenge. We also encourage you to journal your thoughts and reflections.

21-Day Racial Equity Challenge topicsReview these topics to get an overview of what the 2020 Challenge covered each day. Use these links if you’d like to look back or review at any point!