This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Aswad Walker
Most discussions on anti-Blackness (racism, white supremacy) tend to focus on issues of injustice via the criminal justice system. However, anti-Blackness, whether in the form of laws, policies, traditions or stereotypes, is a danger to our mental, physical and emotional well-being wherever it rears its ugly head.
Take, for instance, education. Anti-Blackness in this arena can retard intellectual growth, stymie professional earning potential and exacerbate the already overpopulated school-to-prison pipeline.
WHAT IS ANTI-BLACKNESS
According to “Anti-Blackness/Colorism,” a report by a group of scholars including Janvieve Williams Comrie, “Anti-Blackness is defined as the beliefs, attitudes, actions, practices, and behaviors of individuals and institutions that devalue, minimize, and marginalize the full participation of Black people… the systematic denial of Black humanity and dignity, which makes Black people effectively ineligible for full citizenship.”