Racism operates at both an individual level (both consciously and subconsciously), and at a systemic/institutionalised/ideological level. Subscribing to a racist/anti-racist binary therefore makes no sense. It is not about being "good" or "bad" people.

The belief that only "bad" people are racist prevents us from addressing racial micro-aggressions within ourselves and the people with whom we're familiar, as there's a cognitive dissonance that causes us to refute the idea that our friends and family could be "bad" people.

The sooner we get rid of the idea that "good" people can't be racist, or that all racists are *only* "bad" people, the sooner we can start to confront our own white fragility and the rot of systemic racism that maintains the unequal status quo and perpetuates racial violence.

White liberalism often seeks to define racism as something "bad" people believe, say or do; something that exists in the realm of the "other", thereby denying any personal responsibility and opportunity for both personal and systemic transformation.

The truth is, we can be both racist and anti-racist. White people are all racist in the manner through we've been socialised, which has caused us to develop unconscious and conscious prejudices. We also both passively and actively participate in, and benefit from, white privilege

It is an act of revolution and individual liberation to acknowledge that we're racist and that, while racism is bad, it does not mean we are "bad" people. It means we've been socialised by white supremacist ideology and need to actively choose to reverse it and work against it.

We need to work against it personally (internally), within our relations with others, culturally, and institutionally/ideologically. Being anti-racist is actually a commitment to reclaiming our humanity - it does not make us special or "good" people, it should just be the norm.

Ultimately, anti-racism is a commitment to deconstruct the biases and prejudices within ourselves, and to continually work to be aware of, and correct, racial macro- and micro-aggressions that are prevalent everywhere, whilst taking steps to actively dismantle white privilege.