Skip to Main Content

Anti-Racism Resources

This guide provides resources on anti-racism. It was developed in consultation with NSCC's Office of Human Rights and Equity Services.

Anti-Racism Defined

Anti-racism means actively working to fight against racism. It involves recognizing how racism is built into society’s systems and structures, and intentionally working to change those systems so that power is shared fairly.

Being anti-racist is not just about believing racism is wrong. It is rooted in action, and is about taking meaningful steps to challenge it. This includes changing policies, practices, and attitudes that keep racial inequalities in place. Anti-racism is an ongoing effort that happens at personal, institutional, and systemic levels. Being anti-racist is an ongoing process that requires intentional reflection and action. 

According to Racial Equity Tools (2020), “anti-Racism is defined as the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life.”

  • Individual racism refers to when a person holds beliefs or behaves in ways that support racism. It can include both conscious and unconscious thoughts or actions that harm people because of their race.
  • Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals. It includes things like name-calling, rude comments, or hateful actions based on someone’s race.
  • Institutional racism occurs within organizations, like schools, businesses, or governments. It includes rules, policies, or practices that treat people unfairly based on race. These actions result in inequitable outcomes for whites over people of color.
  • Structural racism is the overarching system across society. It includes the ways laws, policies, institutions, and cultural beliefs give advantages or privileges to white people and disadvantage people of color.

Anti-Racism: New Books & eBooks

See NSCC Libraries' IDEA2 Anti-Racism Collection.
Current material on anti-racism encompassing a wide range of diverse voices and perspectives aimed at addressing systemic injustices and promoting racial equality.

Videos

Seattle Channel. (2018, June 28). Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses 'White Fragility' [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/45ey4jgoxeU

University of Washington professor Dr. Robin DiAngelo reads from her book "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism," explains the phenomenon, and discusses how white people can develop their capacity to engage more constructively across race.

Kendi, I. X. (2020, July 17). The difference between being "not racist" and antiracist [Video]. TED. https://youtu.be/KCxbl5QgFZw

There is no such thing as being "not racist," says author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces and personal beliefs. Learn how you can actively use this awareness to uproot injustice and inequality in the world -- and replace it with love.

Rauch, L. (2025, March 18). An anti-racist invitation: Choosing responsibility over comfort [Video]. TEDx Talks. https://youtu.be/Zkvtf2w07sE?si=cXZSmIUq8p4CSmNK

What does it mean to take responsibility for a world and a system we didn't create, but inherited? As the granddaughter of one of apartheid’s longest-serving ministers, Lidia has wrestled with the weight of this bloodline and the choice between guilt and taking responsibility. But this isn’t just her story, it’s all of ours. In this talk, she extends an anti-racist invitation: to move beyond defensiveness and to recognize how systemic racism shapes all of our daily lives. Anti-racism is not about punishment but an invitation back to our inherent, most authentic selves.

Websites