Eric Ward: What is Racism Matters More than Who is Racist

Oct 17

What is Racism Matters More than Who is Racist

Listen in as Kristine and Eric discuss:

How to change the conversation from who is racist, to what is racism
Their shared but completely different experience living through school desegregation in California in the 1970s
The first time Eric tried to right a wrong – hint: at an amusement park when he was five-years-old
How kids can transcend, resist, and connect even when the grown-ups do not. Or said another way, the power of marching band, drama club, and ROTC
The power and magic of diversity to build social bonds based on values
Life lessons learned from the punk and hip-hop music scenes in the 80s and 90s
Should mint ice cream be green and the difference between “tastes like coffee” and coffee-flavored

Key Takeaways:

Your brain can’t tell the difference between anxiety and excitement, but if you call it anxiety you freeze. Instead, call it what it is – excitement – and then let your imagination soar
We are on the cusp of realizing the multi-racial democracy we seek
This moment is not to be feared. So many gave so much to get us here, it’s our responsibility to take the baton and run this next lap
We must be the ones who take the risk and jump into the crowd
We’re also the ones that catch those who jump, making it safe to take risks
Lead with love
Labeling people racist stops the conversation; instead, let’s have conversations about what is racism

"We can move forward together as a nation. We don't have to be in chaos, we don't have to live in hatred, and we can live in possibilities." — Eric Ward

More about Eric Ward:

Eric K. Ward, a nationally-recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements, hate violence, and preserving inclusive democracy, is the recipient of the 2021 Civil Courage Prize – the first time in the award’s history that an American has won the prize, revealing the dangerous proliferation of hate crimes and political violence by authoritarian and extremist movements in the United States.

Eric brings over three decades of leadership in community organizing and philanthropy to his roles as Western States Center’s Executive Director and Senior Fellow with Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward. Since Eric took the helm in 2017, Western States Center has become a national hub for innovative responses to white nationalism, antisemitism, and structural inequality, towards a world where everyone can live, love, work, and worship free from bigotry and fear. In his 30+ year civil rights career, Eric has worked with community groups, government and business leaders, human rights advocates, and philanthropy as an organizer, director, program officer, consultant, and board member. Currently Co-Chair for The Proteus Fund, Eric is a member of the Pop Culture Collaborative’s Pluralist Visionaries Program and the recipient of the Peabody-Facebook Futures Media Award.

Eric is in high demand as a speaker and media source, and is the author of multiple written works credited with key narrative shifts, including “Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism.” He has been quoted in The New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, ESPN, Black News Channel, NPR, BBC, Rolling Stone and numerous other media outlets, and regularly publishes on Medium. Eric has a special interest in the use of music to advance inclusive democracy. In 2020 he helped to launch the Western States Center Inclusive Democracy Culture Lab which works with musicians to create new narratives that puncture the myths driving our political and social divisions, and invite people who don’t always trust politicians and movement leaders into the safe and trusting conversational space that exists between a performer and their audience.

Connect with Eric:
Race Forward: https://www.raceforward.org/

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekwraceforward/

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/