College of the Arts Meta-Strategy 2021-2025

Visit the Meta-Strategy website to download the finalized document and review the process that created it.

RACE

For many people, it comes as a surprise that racial categorization schemes were invented by scientists to support world views that viewed some groups of people as superior and some as inferior. There are three important concepts linked to this fact:

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Race is a made-up social construct, and not an actual biological fact

 

Race designations have changed over time. Some groups that are considered “white” in the United States today were considered “non-white” in previous eras, in U.S. Census data and in mass media and popular culture (for example, Irish, Italian and Jewish people).

 

The way in which racial categorizations are enforced (the shape of racism) has also changed over time. For example, the racial designation of Asian American and Pacific Islander changed four times in the 19th century. That is, they were defined at times as white and at other times as not white. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as designated groups, have been used by whites at different times in history to compete with African American labor. 

 

SOURCE:

• PBS, Race: Power of an Illusion

• Paul Kivel, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice (Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers, 2002), p.141.

 

RACISM

Racism = race prejudice + social and institutional power
Racism = a system of advantage based on race
Racism = a system of oppression based on race
Racism = a white supremacy system

 
Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices. 

 

SOURCE: 

• Dismantling   Racism   Works   web   workbook

 

ANTI-RACISM

Anti-Racism is defined as the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts.

 

SOURCE:

• Race Forward

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Racial Equity Tools Glossary - https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary

College of the Arts faculty and staff have been compiling a list of resources related to COVID, anti-racism, online teaching, and more. This folder is a collection of those resources and has not been specifically curated or vetted. It is an active space to contribute helpful information. This is also accessible in Microsoft Teams in the Files tab of the “COTA Resources” team.

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