What does it mean to Undo the Work?

What does it mean to undo the work? How do we undo what we’ve learned (and lived) about race, privilege, and equality? Undoing the work is both the overall theme of antiracism and one step in the process. It’s the third of my four pillars for making antiracism a habit.

Undoing the work is putting into action what you’ve learned after you’ve

1) done your self-care so you can listen and comprehend from an emotionally grounded space and

2) learned new facts that might disrupt old beliefs.

I know learning about racism can be painful and doing something about it after you understand the history can be scary enough to make you think you can’t do anything. But that’s a lie. We can all do something and it’s our collective “somethings” that change the world.

Undoing the work happens in two ways.

Internal

The internal work is intentionally examining your beliefs and assumptions based on new facts. When you learn something new, how do you integrate those facts into your life? Especially if those facts are wildly different from what you believed.

Could your old beliefs be incorrect? If they were based on myths and lies, then probably. Does it mean you’re a bad person if you believed misinformation? No. And once you know better, you can do better. It’s a choice.

It can be hard finding out that something you’ve believed for most of your life is incorrect. Many of us actively avoid learning life-altering facts to protect our sense of self. But by using self-care techniques to manage your emotions and then intentionally letting the facts shift your beliefs, you can change the way you perceive the world, other people, and yourself.

It doesn’t have to be hard. It can be freeing! Sometimes it’s a weight lifted. If you think of learning as an adventure and expect to broaden your knowledge instead of seeking to reinforce your current beliefs, that mindset can influence how quickly and easily you can incorporate new information.

External

The external work is changing your behavior based on your new knowledge. What are you doing differently to model what you know? How are you speaking up to make the world safer for people who don’t have your privilege?

This is not just about marching and standing in solidarity with a group. This is about how you show up in one-on-one interactions, at work, at home, at church, in your community every day. Are you sharing your new knowledge? Are you modeling inclusion and using your privilege to support your peers who belong to marginalized groups? Are you speaking up when others cross the line?

Reducing your anxiety with self-care and learning new facts are great, but they mean little if they don’t change how you show up in the world. Undoing is about taking baby steps to make antiracism (and other isms) a habit.

An Inspired by Indigo member said:

“I really appreciated the reminder of how important engaging in the Black community is. That has actually made the work feel more ease-filled in that I have faces to the work and real stories and knowledge from just conversations. It builds me up when I feel like quitting which I didn't have before you encouraged me to build my local relationships.”

Doing something, no matter how small, makes it easier to do the next thing. Get started. Reach out. Make friends. Listen.

How are you undoing the work?