This guide is a work in progress. This guide is meant to be a starting point for those interested in learning more about anti-racism and how they can combat racism and white supremacy. The resources listed here are not exhaustive, rather they are resources for you to make use of in the process of your own anti-racist education.
Auraria Library is proud to state that we have always provided resources on the history and impact of racism in our country. The practice of becoming anti-racist is ongoing, and we will continue to purchase new materials and highlight these resources as they become available to our community.
In full disclosure, most of the collaborators responsible for this guide are cisgender white women and men. We have attempted tp gather quality, relevant resources on anti-racist issues in this guide, but we are not immune from the limits and hidden biases of our own privileges and perspectives. We welcome feedback and suggestions for the guide, particularly from the perspectives and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and non-Black People of Color (BIPOC) members of the Auraria campus community.
We would like to acknowledge that Auraria Library is located on the traditional land of the first people of the greater Denver area, the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Ute Nations past and present. This area was also the site of trade, hunting, gathering, and healing for many other Indigenous people including the Lakota, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone, and others.
Allyship: the state or condition of being an ally; supportive association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong
Anti-oppression: the strategies, theories, actions, and practices that actively challenge systems of oppression on an ongoing basis in one's daily life and in social justice/change work.
Anti-racism: the policy or practice of opposing racism and promoting racial tolerance.
DEI: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (also sometimes referred to as EDI).
Diversity: the state of being diverse; the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.
Equity: the quality of being fair or impartial
Inclusion: the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure; the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)
Intersectionality: the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage
Microaggressions: a comment, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority
Oppression: prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority
Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.
Systematic racism: structures or processes carried out by groups with power, such as governments, businesses or schools that produce racial inequality
White privilege: having greater access to power and resources than people of color in the same situation do; it is not the suggestion that white people have never struggled.
White supremacy: the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
