I want to encourage each of you to take a moment to pause and reflect back on the past 11 months! You started this year-long accountability journey with a specific commitment in mind and now we are nearing the end of that year! Congratulations for making the commitment you did, and for the effort, energy, and time you gave over the past year to specifically continue your anti-racism journey.  

I recently read Woke Racism by John McWhorter and found it to be an invaluable component of stretching my own thinking and perspective. It considers what is necessary and needed for real change to occur for those who need it most, and the nature and tone of the conversation at large around anti-racism. And, at the heart of the book, McWhorter offers a roadmap to justice that actually will help, not hurt, Black America. 

I found this book humbling, challenging and critical to my own journey and think you might appreciate it as well. On December 2, 2021, for On Point, Meghna Chakrabarti interviewed John McWhorter on how to combat the harms of “woke racism.” You can listen to the conversation here. As you have deepened your understanding of anti-racism this past year and continue to broaden your view, it is worth taking time to also account for opposing or differing views, such as those that can be found in Woke Racism.

Published: December 2021
Author: Angie Stewart
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Lead and Facilitator Engagement Program Manager
Organizational Learning