As a white person raised in the US, I can’t help but be a product of my environment, which is a society where “whiteness” is tantamount to power, privilege and supremacy. As much as I cringe to write it, simply by virtue of benefitting from this system, I am racist.

As an anti-racist white person, which is how I describe myself to my students, I continue to work toward understanding and dismantling the underpinnings of systemic racism. I do this by learning more and I do this by teaching more. Teaching my students about racism strengthens their critical-thinking skills and helps me create a belonging classroom. My learning about racism means examining how my whiteness affects how I relate to my students of color.