To move from racism to relationships we must take steps to address and eliminate all forms of racism--from institutional racism to explicit and implicit racism.
By checking each box you are committing to eliminate racism from your life.
I will not use race or ethnicity to define someone: "that Mexican woman, that black man, that Indian kid."
When someone begins to tell a racist joke, I will ask them to stop.
When someone approaches me--on the street, in a grocery story, at school, in church--who doesn't look like me, I will see them as an individual and not as a member of a specific group.
I will not assume a person of certain ethnicity or race is “illegal.”
I will not assume a person racially or ethnically different does not live in my community or belong to my church.
When I hear someone make a remark that begins with "those people," I will remind them that they are creating a stereotype.
I will not secretly think I am better than someone because of the way they look, their hair color, or type, or their skin color.
I will not believe in stereotypes.
Do you have an example of racial discrimination that you would like to see eliminated? Email us at news@gcorr.org and we will add it to the list above.
What is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination?
Throughout history, many of the horrible things that people have done to each other have occurred because one group of people felt superior to another. They learned to see differences in others--such as race, color, gender, age, disability, religious belief or sexual orientation--as a reason for thinking that people with that characteristic were not worthy of the same rights as they were. This prejudice justified their decision to discriminate against the other group--the other group was humiliated, excluded, restricted or marginalized because of these perceived differences.
When the United Nations was formed to help countries work together to create a more peaceful, just and sustainable world, a cornerstone of its Charter declared that all people are entitled to the same human rights and freedom, regardless of their color, sex, language or religion. Our global community has come a long way in helping to eliminate discrimination, but we still have far to go.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, also known as End Racism Day, is a perfect opportunity to help our communities celebrate human unity and the diversity of the human race rather than allow our differences to become an excuse for racial separation. It's a chance to recognize prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination in our society, and how each of us may have our own prejudices and may be making people feel excluded without our even realizing it. It's a chance to reaffirm our commitment to eliminate all forms of discrimination and help create communities and societies where all citizens can live in dignity, equality and peace.
Learn more about implicit racism at Harvard University's Project Implicit.
