We believe that Indiana University’s antiracist agenda will be a key driver of our institution’s success against racism. The antiracist agenda is a way of thinking about Indiana University’s approach to address racism. IU’s antiracist agenda describes a way of doing business, how we educate, and how we serve to advance IU’s culture of belonging. Therefore, Indiana University denounces racism and oppression of all forms, and to demonstrate this commitment, we must elevate our actions to affirm existing organizational values of inclusiveness to create a diverse and just organization. Using the antiracist agenda, we must look introspectively at IU’s policies, procedures, and culture and act to provide an open and supportive environment for all faculty, staff, and students.
In light of recent and ongoing calls for racial and social justice across the nation, Indiana University has placed a renewed focus on enhancing antiracist policies and practices. As the university cements its dedication to antiracism and begins the work of addressing systemic issues and managing the growingly diverse needs of IU's constituents, OVPDEMA will serve as a resource in coordinating and supporting efforts on all campuses.
Indiana University has been a leader in diversity among research institutions for decades, and it is incumbent on IU to undertake this initiative as we continue to stand at the forefront of innovation as an institution. Antiracism is integral to equip students with the necessary tools and curriculum to recognize racism and to thrive within a diverse world. Providing faculty and staff with similar resources that aid in building equitable environments is no less critical. Empowering the IU community to address biases and reassess social determinants of equity will be a primary driver behind the accomplishment of this agenda.
The approach of this work, which provides guidance and is responsive to input from units and individuals, focuses on evaluating policies and institutional behaviors as a means of shifting cultural values and perspectives toward greater racial equity. It is important to note that the purpose of this agenda is not to infringe upon equitable practices already being performed or impose barriers to future efforts. Rather, the antiracist agenda intends to build institutional capacity committed to a breadth of inclusive and equitable transformations so that impacts are measurable and sustainable and carried out with urgency and accountability.
The agenda outlined in the following pages describes ways in which IU can refine its operations and explore new opportunities to foster environments where all can thrive. To demonstrate this commitment fully will involve spreading the work of antiracism to all responsibility centers within the university. Grounding this work in every aspect of institutional life ensures that we meet the charge presented by President McRobbie in his June 12 address to the Trustees of Indiana University: to stand up for what is good and right.
Guiding Principles
- To identify, attract, and retain diverse faculty, staff, and student populations; and to aid in timely graduate of all students
- To foster a climate of antiracism
- To promote antiracism, diversity, and inclusion in teaching, public service, research, and training across campuses and partnerships (global and domestic)
- To ensure accountability for antiracism on all campuses Antiracist and Antiracism Defined
- Antiracism examines the power imbalances between racialized people and non-racialized/white people. These imbalances play out in the form of unearned privileges that white people benefit from and racialized people do not (McIntosh, 1988).
- Antiracist: One who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an antiracist idea. Racist: One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racist idea (Kendi, 2019).
- To be an antiracist individual or institution, one must engage in persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination (Kendi, 2019).
- Antiracism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably – NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity
- Antiracism is the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures, and behaviors that perpetuate system racism (Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat).
- Some may assert that the term antiracism excludes consideration of other forms of oppression at work in society, like discrimination based on gender, sexuality, ability, and class, for example. OVPDEMA views antiracism as inclusive of the intersectionality of various forms of power and oppression at work in our society and lives. Our primary focus for social change, nonetheless, is racism, which is complicated by other forms of oppression. Because we live in a society that is so resistant to and uncomfortable with discussions of racism, we feel it is imperative to maintain this primary focus.
Essential Areas of Focus
The essential areas of focus to address with IU’s antiracist agenda (see Table 1) come from the multiple voices of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of our surrounding communities through a variety of documents—especially reporting from the IU Diversity Assessment conducted by Halualani & Associates—other campus surveys, and discussions.
Table 1
Essential Areas of Focus for the Antiracist Agenda for Indiana University
- Faculty Environment, Experiences, and Governance
- Review of Building and Space
- Students Environment and Experiences (undergraduates and graduates)
- IU Police Department Environment and Experiences, Procedures, and Process
- Admissions and Enrollment
- Research Initiatives
- Staff Environment and Experiences
- Procurement Procedures and Processes
- Administration Environment and Experiences
- International and Global Initiatives
These are a few of the most important areas to consider as we move forward. This is not an exhaustive list. In addition, each campus must strive to include students’ voices throughout this process.
Each IU campus will identify various committees, task forces, and groups to work collaboratively to identify challenges and opportunities, design recommendations for organizational change (e.g., policies), and assist with the dissemination of deliverables for the essential areas of focus.