Where to attack racism?

One day in class, Dr. Hunter said to her tiny white crew of students that one of the reasons racism persists is that often, almost always, when a white person finally realizes racism is real, she or he wants to surround themselves with others who know of its existence, or better yet, around people of color who will affirm the white person's status as a non-racist because how can you be racist if you have friends, colleagues, students and bosses of color. So, often, white people wishing to fight racism enroll in "more progressive" colleges. They live in areas where there is more diversity. They seek out work places that tout more commitment to diversity. And so, white teachers, who are anti-racist wannabes, also often choose to work in more diverse schools.

But, Dr. Hunter insisted, white teachers who want to fight racism are needed in white schools. People of color already know about racism. Not to say it isn't important to have anti-racist teachers in diverse schools, but that is not where the problem can truly be attacked. In this single message, she gave the four of us the benefit of the doubt that we were anti-racist wannabes, and she gave us a mission:  go be anti-racists in your classrooms. No matter your subject. This message was my saving grace when the first job I was offered was thirty minutes from my home in an almost all-white high school.

I had only ever been around mostly liberal-minded people, and although they were predominately white, I cannot recall an overtly racist comment ever made by someone I was close with. I heard comments that were racist in more subtle ways. I had people I was close to make decisions to sequester themselves and their children away from people of color, but always with self-shame for being both progressive with their speech and money, but less generous with their prejudices about neighborhoods or schools that have more diversity. And so I was genuinely scared to enter a world where I may encounter more overt racism. And even as I type this, I think of the irony that a white woman would be scared of racism.