Anti-Racism
Anti-racist knowledge is essential wherever people meet, study and work. Here you will find events, definitions of terms, previous research at ETH and external resources on anti-racism and critical discussion of racism.
Events from ETH Diversity
During the ‘Week against Racism’ (18-22 March), ETH Diversity posted on external page LinkedIn. Many different racism-critical explanations of terms, contact points, podcast and exhibition tips and more were featured.
At an event to mark the day against sexual harassment at Swiss universities (25 April), it was shown how sexual harassment is intersectionally linked to abuse of power and discrimination such as racism.
Black History Month (October)
Various events were organised at ETH to mark Black History Month in October. In addition to its origins in the US, October or February has also been declared Black History Month in various European countries to celebrate the ongoing achievements and contributions of Black people around the world. It is also a time to fight racism and ensure that Black history is represented and celebrated throughout the year.
(26.10.22) "Spaces that were not meant for me" - Exclusionary, racialised spaces in Switzerland (EN)
Social scientist Danielle Isler shares her expertise on inclusion in academia. In the public lecture on ‘Whitened Spaces and Institutions’, she explains how such spaces are constructed and maintained, how they create exclusions and what can be done about them.
(01.11.22) "How could I have behaved?" - Allyship workshop (EN)
Online workshop with Danielle Isler for ETH members who are not affected by racism themselves and want to act as allies against racism. We will discuss and analyse how, where and when allies can get involved and reflect on our own identity and behaviour.
(02.11.22) "If I had known that..." - Empowerment workshop (EN)
This online workshop is about the empowerment of BIPoC. In a space of compassion, all participants should be heard, can question internalised, harmful beliefs and courageously unlearn. Knowledge can create change, self-confidence and empowerment.
Various projects and research at ETH Zurich on decolonisation and the critique of racism
Interview on decolonisation in architecture with Mariam Issoufou, Studio Atavism - Architecture Heritage and Sustainability Chair, D-ARCH ETH Zurich.
Journal-Article (DE) ‘Exhibiting Othering. Racialised space formation at major exhibitions’ by Regine Hess (2023)
external page Report by ETH Zurich: (DE) ‘Zurich M-fantasies: A historical and conceptual interpretation, ca. 1400-2022’
external page Report on conference at ETH Zürich 'Decolonizing Curricula, Pluralizing Teaching and Research – Postcolonial Perspectives on Universities in the 21st Century'.
external page Article on SRF about Tomàs Bartoletti's research on Switzerland, research and colonialism.
external page Website from Stop Hate Speech on the research project on countering (racist) hate speech.
external page Study on discrimination when looking for a job: Monitoring hiring discrimination through online recruitment platforms (2021)
Important Terms
BIPoC is an acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The term PoC is the self-designation of people who experience racism. The term also aims to unite different groups affected by racism in order to pool anti-racist forces. However, not all people affected by racism identify as PoC.
It has been scientifically proven that the concept of ‘race’ does not make sense or exist from a biological perspective, but is a social construct that was invented around 1400 by people in Western Europe to describe people and place them in a social order. The category ‘white’ has always been associated with superiority. Although there is no biological basis for race, people are still racialised and categorised based on characteristics such as skin colour, facial features, religion, etc. Racism is the structural, institutional, interpersonal and internalised discrimination of racialised people.
Resources
Below you will find interesting books, links to social media and podcasts in English, German and French. The resource list was compiled by C. Mignan, supplemented by ETH Diversity.
«exit RACISM – rassismuskritisch denken lernen»
Author: Tupoka Ogette
«Was weisse Menschen nicht über Rassismus hören wollen, aber wissen sollten»
Author: Alice Hasters
Postkoloniale Schweiz - Formen und Folgen eines Kolonialismus ohne Kolonien
Authors: Patricia Purtschert, Barbara Lüthi & Francesca Falk
Kolonialität und Geschlecht im 20. Jahrhundert - Eine Geschichte der weißen Schweiz
Author: Patricia Purtschert
Racial Profiling - Struktureller Rassismus und antirassistischer Widerstand
Authors: Mohamed Wa Baile, Serena O. Dankwa, Tarek Naguib, Patricia Purtschert, Sarah Schilliger
Rassismus. Strukturelle Probleme brauchen strukturelle Lösungen!
Author: Natasha A. Kelly
Deutschland Schwarz-Weiss
Author: Noah Sow
Wie Rassismus aus Wörtern spricht - (K)Erben des Kolonialismus im Wissensarchiv deutsche Sprache. Ein kritisches Nachschlagewerk
Author: Susan Arndt, Nadja Ofuatey-Alazard
White Fragility – Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Author: Robin J. DiAngelo
Why I'm No longer Talking to White People about Race
Author: Reni Eddo-Lodge
How to Be an Anti-Racist
Author: Ibram X.Kendi
Me and White Supremacy –Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor
Author: Layla Saad
So You Want to Talk About Race
Author: Ijeoma Oluo
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person
Author: Frederick Joseph
Antagonists, Advocates and Allies: The Wake-Up Call Guide for White Women Who Want to Become Allies With Black Women
Author: Catrice M. Jackson
external page Fighting race-bias in algorithms - Joy Buolamwini
external page Online-Glossary from external page No to Racism (DE)
With this glossary, the authors want to find respectful terms to be able to talk about racism and experiences of racism. The glossary is intended to help us find a racism-sensitive language. The glossary will also be updated on an ongoing basis.
external page Online-Glossary from external page histnoire 'Resistance. On dealing with racism in Bern’, co-authored by Jovita dos Santos Pinto and Emanuel Haab
external page Glossary and language guide "Is that racist?" from external page Josephine Apraku (Goethe Institut)
Tupoka Ogette (external page tupoka.o): Trainerin und Beraterin für Rassismuskritik
Focus: Bildungsinhalt für antirassistische Verbündete
Josephine Apraku (external page josephine.apraku): Mitgründerin des @idb.berlin
Focus: Bildungsinhalt zu Antirassissmus
Vo da. (external page mirsindvoda): Kollektiv für die Benennung von Diskriminierung & Rassismus in der Schweiz
Focus: Bildungsinhalt für antirassistische Verbündete; Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Verein Diversum (external page verein.diversum): Austausch von Menschen die Rassismuserfahrungen machen.
Focus: Bildungsinhalt für antirassistische Verbündete
Linke PoC (external page linkepoc): Migrantifa. Selbst-organisierter Antirassismus aus der Schweiz
Focus: Intersektionaler Bildungsinhalt bzgl. Rassismus & weitere Diskriminierungen
Decolonize Zurich (external page decolonizezurich): Aktionsgruppe, zum Nachdenken über die koloniale Schweiz und zum dekolonialen Handeln
Focus: Postkolonialismus in der Schweiz
Bewegte Texte (external page bewegte_texte): mobile anti-rassistische / intersektionale Bibliothek
Focus: Empfehlungen für anti-rassistische Literatur
IseeRacism:
Focus (external page iseeracism): Teilen von Rassismuserfahrungen
Chasnuemghoere (external page chasnuemghoere): Was Betroffene von Diskriminierung und Rassismus in der Schweiz im Alltag von ihren Mitmenschen zu hören bekommen
Focus: Teilen von Rassismuserfahrungen
redefineracism (redefineracism):
Focus: Teilen von Rassismuserfahrungen
From Privilege to Progress (external page privtoprog)
Focus: Sharing of anti-racism content and education for allies
browngirlreader (external page browngirlreader)
Focus: Sharing of anti-racism content and social justice book recommendations
Askapoc (external page askapoc)
Focus: Space for white persons to ask questions to a community of Black and Indigenous, People of Color (BIPoC)
White Homework (external page whitehomework): For everybody asking, “But what can I DO about racism?!”
Focus: Anti-racism education for allies
Catriceology (external page catriceology): Catrice M Jackson, International Racial Justice Educator & Author
Focus: Anti-racism education for allies
The Conscious Kid (external page theconsciouskid): Parenting and Education through a Critical Race Lens
Focus: Sharing of anti-racism content and diverse children book recommendations
Kaliandkalkli (external page kaliandkalki): Sangeetha Thanapal - Writer | Educator | Activist | Anti-Racism Expert
Focus: Anti-racism content and education on fatphobia
NO WHITE SAVIORS (external page nowhitesaviors): Education/advocacy/action
Focus: Anti-racism content from an African perspective
Marie Beecham (external page mariebeech): anti-racism educator
Focus: Anti-racism content and education
Collectif pour la mémoire NE (external page coll.memoire.ne): collectif anti-raciste en Suisse romande
Focus: Education sur l’histoire coloniale de la Suisse
Mrs Roots (external page mrsrootsbooks): Autrice, bloggeuse afroféministe
Focus: Contenu anti-raciste et recommandation de livres jeunesses représentant la diversité
Décolonisons Nous (external page decolonisonsnous): Déconstruire l’héritage postcolonial de l’inconscient collectictif et anti-racisme politique
Focus: Contenu anti-raciste avec focus sur les médias français
Sans Blanc de Rien (external page sansblancderien): Compte du podcast belge du même nom, projet de lutte contre le racisme, les préjugés, et les stéréotypes raciaux.
Focus: Sensibilisation sur l’antiracisme et la blanchité
Change Tes Héros (external page change.tes.heros): La face cachéee de tes personnages historiques préférés
Focus: Sensibilisation sur des propos racistes, sexistes, antisémite et discriminant en autre forme de personnages historiques
Je Ne Suis Pas Raciste Mais (external page jenesuis_pasraciste_mais): Témoignages de personnes subissant le racisme
Focus: Sensibilisation sur le racisme ordinaire
Kiffe ta race (external page kiffetarace): Compte du podcast français qui explore les questions raciales
Focus: Sensibilisation sur l’antiracisme
In German:
• external page Schwesterplanet:
• external page Rice and Shine:
• external page Feuer und Brot:
• external page Kanackische Welle:
• external page Wort.Macht.Widerstand:
In English:
• external page Vocal About It:
• external page Combing the Roots with Ally Henny:
• external page About Race:
• external page No White Saviors:
In French:
• external page Kiffe ta race:
• external page À L’intersection:
• external page Sans Blanc de Rien:
In German:
• external page Berner Rassismus Stammtisch, Austauschplattform eines transdisziplinären Schweizer Kollektivs zur antirasssistischen Bildung
• external page Tupoka Ogette, Trainerin und Beraterin im Bereich Rassismuskritik, Antirassismus
In English:
• external page Ally Henny, Writer and Speaker of race and anti-racism
• external page Unlearning Racism (private group, access will only be provided after answering a couple of questions
In German:
• external page Alice Hasters, Anti-Rassismus Autorin
• external page Abu_Internet, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus Inhalt
• external page Aminata Touré, Deutsche Abgeordnete bei den Grünen, Fokus: Anti-Rassismus, Migration, Frauenrechte, LGBTQ+
• external page Belinda Grasnick, Journalistin schreibt über Migration und Rassismus
• external page Quarantäne Quattromilf, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus Inhalt:
• external page Thị Minh Huyền Nguyễn, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus
• external page Thủy-Tiên Nguyễn, Anti-Rassismus Kursleiterin
• external page Asian German WoC, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus
• external page Chicquie5, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus
• external page Chanti, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus
• external page Abu_Aristophano, Fokus auf Anti-Rassismus
In English:
• external page Reni Eddo-Lodge, anti-racism author
• external page The Justice Collective, consultancy for racial and social equity
• external page Brea Banks, researcher in microgaggressions
• external page Saeed Jones, author writes about race and gender
• external page Blue Haired Unicorn, consultant for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in organizations
• external page Brittney Cooper, authoress writes about race and gender:
• external page Equal Justice Initiative, works to end mass incarceration and racial inequality
In French:
• external page Kiffe ta race, compte twitter du podcast
• external page Rokhaya Diallo, autrice, journaliste et réalisatrice engagée contre le racisme, le sexisme
• external page Grace Ly, écrivaine, réalisatrice engagée contre le racisme, le sexisme
• external page Collectif Asiatique Antiraciste, collectif contre le racisme systémique et institutionnel
• external page Nassira El Moaddem, journaliste, aturice, présentatrice engage contre le racisme et la violence policière
• external page Fatima Ouassak, autrice et activiste anti-raciste
Book
Empowerment as an educational task - practical knowledge for dealing with experiences of racism by Nkechi Madubuko
Focus: Adults who want to support children who have experienced racism.
Video
external page Wie spreche ich mit Kindern über Rassismus? (DE)
Focus: Parents who want to talk to children about racism
Blog post and podcast episode
external page Soll ich mit meinem Kind über Rassismus sprechen? (DE)
Focus: Parents who want to talk to children about racism
Readings
external page How to raise anti-racist kids
Focus: Collection of resources for anti-racist education
Graphic
external page Graphic llustrating the age at which children understand the concepts of race and racism.
external page Lee and Low Books: America’s largest children’s book publisher specializing in diversity. Est. 199
Focus: Diverse children book recommendations
external page hereweread: Diversity & Inclusion Expert I help you find quality diverse books and educational products
Focus: Diverse children book recommendations
external page Books For Diversity
Focus: Diverse children book recommendations
external page We Need Diverse Books: We are a nonprofit organization created to address the lack of diverse narratives in children's lit.
Focus: Diverse children book recommendations
Contact
Binzmühlenstrasse 130
8092
Zürich
What you can do in the event of disrespectful behaviour
ETH Zurich has set out how we practise respect at ETH in the Code of Conduct Respect. We do not tolerate discrimination such as racism, harassment, bullying or other behaviour that violates the code at our university.
In the event of discrimination, harassment or conflicts, please contact the contact and advice centers, which offer professional support to all employees and students of ETH Zurich: