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Dismantling Racism Resource Book

Example: Washington voters overturned that state’s affirmative action laws in
1998. Voters were able to justify their positions in a variety of ways, including
that they were supporting civil rights! The ballot title was “Washington Civil
Rights Initiative” and the case was not effectively made through mainstream
media, etc. that institutional racism persists and that affirmative action is a

necessary, if only partial, remedy. The No on 200 campaign targeted white women
voters who were seen as possibly going either way on the issue, and designed
messages that pointed out the benefits to them of affirmative action. But
research has shown that affirmative action is widely perceived by whites across
gender as a race issue, with Black men seen as the primary beneficiaries. By trying
to make the issue about gender, the campaign seems to have missed the mark,
failing to convince a majority of white women voters to reject the repeal of
affirmative action.

5. Naming & framing racism can help us connect with our constituency,
particularly people of color.

By naming racism and calling it out the way it is, you are more likely to connect with
your constituency, if your constituency is people of color, because you are speaking
to their reality. Amilcar Cabral, a revolutionary fighting Portuguese colonizers in
Guineau-Bissau in Africa, said that leaders must always tell the truth as a matter

of integrity and as a necessary means to keep trust with the marginalized, the
oppressed – their constituents. It’s hard to motivate people to engage in struggle
when you’re not naming things the way they are. Calling the problem economic
mismanagement, when your members (or would-be members) know that the problem
is racism, perpetuates the racist myths about the problem and will inevitably
alienate parts of your constituency. Tell it like it is and people will know you are
speaking the truth and develop trust in your organization, rather than become
skeptical of a message that doesn’t speak to their reality.

6. Naming & framing racism can prepare us for post-campaign work.

What happens if your campaign loses when you decided, for short-term gain, to
avoid naming and framing racism? Now you’ve failed to win your demands AND
you’ve also failed to educate anyone about the problem of institutionalized racism
that you were fighting. If you frame and name racism, you have created a context
in which the post-fight still positions you to work with your constituency. And,
hopefully, you have developed a higher level of consciousness about

Dismantling Racism Project 110 Western States Center