For this course we will acknowledge up front that there are several common definitions of the word "racism".  We will use two of them and capitalize one of them.

Racism - A social, political, legal or economic system that gives one group that has a different skin color and other genetic traits power and advantage over another group.

racism - a set of attitudes and habits that causes people to treat people with a different skin color or other genetic traits as subordinate, sometimes with rude or hateful speech.

The adjectives Racist and racist that derive from these definitions then become important.  As we design our own personal journey to discover our role in helping to address these problems, it will be important to understand the difference between these two definitions.

To be called a racist is a very personal attack.  Think about how you would feel if someone used that term to describe you. In your heart, you know you do not hate Black people nor feel they are genetically inferior.  However, you may discover through these lessons that you may have some speech patterns or attitudes that could be misinterpreted as racist, and you will lovingly work to eliminate those habits through these practices.

But to be a Racist is a very different thing.  It actually means to be alive and a member of a dominant group in a Racist culture.  So, as a white person in the United States in the early 21st century, you are automatically Racist.  It does not imply intent but some may assume complacency with the power structure if we are not working to fix it.  These lessons will help you find your energy for eliminating Racism.  Because as much as you didn't ask or choose to be born white, you are and you can use that luck of genetics to make a difference. 

This semantic challenge is central to our relationship with each other and those that disagree with us.  It would be lovely if there were only one definition of the word, but even academic types that have made it their life's work to study racism often use the definitions interchangeably or differently.

There is no good substitute for Racism.  It is the larger, more important definition of the word. Some do use the words "institutional" or “systemic” to modify it for clarity, but that practice requires consistency to be helpful. 

The word, racism, however, has many close synonyms. Bigotry, prejudice, hatred, supremacy, and other terms can be more accurate when defining individual behavior and intentions.

Your practice today is to notice when you are inclined to use the word.  Which definition do you mean? Is there another word that would be more accurate? Listen to others as they use the word and try to figure out how they are using it.  What changes in the basic use of this word would help us to bring more understanding to this problem?

Racism is to our culture in the US as weather is to our atmosphere.  Sometimes we see it plainly and fear it; sometimes it hides and doesn’t get any attention. These courses help well-meaning people dig for solutions that match their spirit, energy, and skills as race allies to the fear, devastation, and destruction that Racism brings to us all.

This series provides 21 daily practices to awaken your loving spirit towards all your fellow humans, and find your small place in the important work to eliminate Racism toward Black and African American persons in the United States. As people with many skin tones have immigrated to this country over the last two hundred years, none except the conquered Native Americans have found the same ongoing difficulty and discrimination as the population that began as captives on slave ships and continue as captives in our prisons. We will focus on this problem, and though it might also help us derive solutions to our bigotry toward immigrants, these are different problems with different origins. Both hurt our country and deserve solutions.

You can practice being an ally for one day or the rest of your life.  Any effort you spend on this practice will enrich your life and enhance your world.  The first level of study includes 21 practices, stemming from the suggestion that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit.  But this practice isn’t really supposed to change your habits as much as awaken your dormant habits and help you understand how important they are to molding the world around you.

In your heart, you know you are not racist. Yet Racism still exists all around you.  Together we’ll learn how that can be, and what you can do about it.  What you can do depends on who you are, where you’ve been, what your life demands of you now, and how you can reduce those demands by awakening your spirit. 

Any real time you take out of your day to give attention to your practice is yours to carve out.  Each day you decide to incorporate one of these practices, you will need about five minutes to listen to the episode.   For the rest of the day, you can add your practice to your thoughts while at red lights, during commercials, on the treadmill, during your time on hold on the phone, or during your reflection or prayer time. If you are especially moved by a lesson, you may choose to write, start a conversation with your family, or find more ways to investigate that discovery.  BUT this course is truly designed to be an awakening.  There will be days, months, and years ahead when you can follow your reawakened heart and head down new roads.  Future courses (this is 101-level, after all!) will help you craft that piece of your journey, if you would like to continue. 

Your choice to interact with other students is entirely yours. Forty-eight hours after you have begun a practice, you may return to the lesson and report memories, reflect on events in your life, examine attitudes that may be changing or, celebrate new understandings.  This is not a platform for discouraging other students on their journey towards understanding.  We are all at our own individual intersection of awareness on this road.  Just because someone is stuck behind an accident a couple of miles back doesn't mean they won't continue their journey shortly.