Resources on Race and Racism

At ValpoNEXT, we feel it is important to work toward racial equality and to be aware of the racism and negative implicit biases that still linger in this country and in the world.

Implicit bias is defined by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University as follows: "Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control" (http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/research/understanding-implicit-bias/).

It is easy to succumb to accepting racial stereotypes and racial biases, whether we have ill intent behind it or not; and we see these negative stereotypes and biases come out most often in community happenings and government policies around the world. It is important to be willing to actively do better as individuals and as communities, and to work toward learning how to shape and change those biases that we often unconsciously and unknowingly have.

We can fight these ways by educating ourselves on the history of others' cultures and the true history of our nation; the good, bad, and the ugly. Below, you will find many resources on learning the history, current dealings, and basic understanding of culture! We want to celebrate every culture and every person of color, and we hope this page does so.

If you have any resources to include, please comment in the feedback section below so we can review the sources and post them if deemed appropriate.