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Marginalized populations in our country face severe oppression, and the only way to combat this is to change the system that enables it fundamentally. Organizations such as Matthew Kincaid’s Overcoming Racism are working to help improve cultural education and create an informed, anti-racist environment and a more equitable society.
Kincaid’s background is as an educator, having worked as a social studies teacher and school administrator for years before he went all-in on his activism and founded Overcoming Racism. But the foundations of his philosophy can be seen in his career as an educator. In the classroom, he focused on cultural awareness and cultural literacy, observing the educational disparities between white and Black pupils, informing his students about systems of oppression, and instilling anti-racist values that could help to end systemic racism outright in future generations.
This was a perfect foundation for Kincaid to launch Overcoming Racism. This organization works with schools and businesses to provide the types of education and training necessary to help our society make a shift in the right direction, one step and one person at a time. To achieve the progress that will have an overall impact on the systems that run our society, it will take making changes on a fundamental level, which is what Kincaid’s organization has set out to do.
Overcoming Racism offers several services that help institutions evaluate and address racism on an organizational level. From speaking engagements to workshops and in-depth executive coaching, Overcoming Racism will work with your organization to identify the needs of your business or school’s needs and determine the best solution for you. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to education, which is why Overcoming Racism’s methodology is so effective at inspiring long-term organizational change.
What Overcoming Racism does
The goal of Overcoming Racism, like other activist organizations, is to make an impact. Kincaid’s work is arduous and taxing, but the emotional toll it takes is worth it because of the visible change that Kincaid is inspiring. “So many people are afraid to engage in conversations about race and systemic racism. This fear alone is a significant impediment to racial progress in this country. Seeing participants in Overcoming Racism intensives break through that fear, and claim their power and agency in this work is an amazing feeling,” says Kincaid.
It is crucial to address this change at all levels to inspire it effectively. Challenging the status quo means nothing if you aren’t going to empower future generations to continue this new, more inclusive mindset. “When we put our students first, we work collaboratively towards a goal larger than ourselves,” says Kincaid. Indeed, Kincaid’s experience working with youth as a teacher and administrator has prepared him to work on cultural education at a larger scale.
When educating young people about racism, it is essential to make sure that you are doing so in a properly informed way. But it isn’t just the responsibility of schools and community outreach organizations to have these conversations about race with children — a big part of this responsibility comes down to parents. “Families that don’t make it a habit to talk about race with their children, even when it is uncomfortable, leave their children at a disadvantage to traverse the diverse landscape of this country,” says Kincaid.
Challenging an oppressive system
People are more likely to adapt to a broken system than the broken system is to adjust to great people inside of it. As such, it takes an active approach to change the system. Kincaid asserts, “It is human nature to adapt to the culture of the environments that we exist in, especially work environments. If organizations want to be better, they have to focus not simply on getting the right people into the room; they need to focus on shifting the culture by impacting policies and systems.”
Organizations have faced some significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Overcoming Racism had to change the way they operate as a result. Anti-racism training traditionally benefited from a face-to-face connection, but that wasn’t practical during the pandemic. As such, they had to come up with some innovative virtual solutions and double down on the talents of their team. Kincaid says, “Anti-racism work has never been free of adversity. Making meaningful systemic change means weathering storms. We are approaching this pandemic with the same spirit of perseverance which undergirds our belief in forming a more equitable society, and so far, that has helped us see the light shining through the clouds.”
The growth that Overcoming Racism has experienced since its founding in 2016 has been substantial, despite the adversity they have faced. Kincaid and his team will continue to work with companies and the community to spread their message. “I am blessed to work with a thoughtful and committed team that keeps me grounded and focused on the vision of the organization,” says Kincaid, “Without them, Overcoming Racism would not be what it is.”
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Photo provided by the author with permission.
