How to talk about identity and racial justice

At the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, we recognize the importance of recognizing all forms of identity and addressing issues of racial and social justice. The following questions can serve as a guide when starting to talk as a class, lab, or group about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion:

  1. How do you embody the concepts of justice, equity, and inclusion in your daily life?
  2. In what ways do you contribute to the efforts in your institution to create and sustain welcoming spaces where everyone feels accepted and valued?
  3. What efforts do you make to put at service to the greater society your power/privilege?
  4. How do you demonstrate your commitment to, and responsibility for, equity, inclusion, and diversity?
  5. How are you understanding social justice events based on your own identities and positionality? 
  6. How can we recognize each other’s own relationship to what is happening while also moving forward to working toward systemic change?
  7. What can we do in our respective lives in the way we engage with people or within the institutions we occupy?

Learn more about the legacy of systemic racism and dehumanization of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) bodies, how to engage in solidarity and allyship, and understanding the construction of whiteness as a race. The following resources can serve to better understand the importance of solidarity against the multidimensional forms of racism.

Readings

For books, visit Stanford Libraries or the Stanford Bookstore

Resources