Anti-Racist Teaching Practices

This resource reflects a collaborative effort by UMBC faculty designed to provide guidance for instructors wishing to engage in anti-racist practices in their teaching and research, as well as providing anti-racist teaching materials. In compiling this resource, our goal is to start a conversation without positioning ourselves as experts on this subject. 

Anti-racist practices are constantly evolving and improving based on a process of critical analysis, self-reflection, lifetime learning, and community feedback. A feedback tab is included in the menu for suggestions, comments, and additional resources, as this guide will be updated on a regular basis.

• "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." -Angela Y. Davis 
• "Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people--they manipulate them. They do not liberate, not are they liberated: they oppress."   -Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970)
• "Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination."  -Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist (2019) 

• Universities are societal institutions that may perpetuate racist practices or engage in anti-racism, leading to long-lasting effects in the professional and personal lives of young adults.
• Public universities usually attract a broad range of students from various backgrounds, including international and out-of-state students as well as different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups. This is especially crucial at minority serving institutions.

Therefore, in order to promote critical thinking, scholarship, and knowledge acquisition in a well-balanced and inclusive manner, this guide aims to support conscious anti-racist efforts at all levels of teaching for anyone who wishes to implement an anti-racist pedagogy into their personal teaching strategies.