Social workers are constantly faced with a wide range of social work issues and are responsible for helping their clients navigate challenging life situations. As such, social workers, more so than many other professionals, have the opportunity to effect change in the individuals, communities and institutions they work with. This is particularly important when it comes to issues of racism and white supremacy in our country. Explore our guide to practicing anti-racism and promoting social justice and racial equity through social work. 

Anti-racism is a process of actively identifying and combating racism. Anti-racism requires ongoing action. The goal is to become aware of racism in all its forms and actively change the beliefs, behaviors and policies that perpetuate racist ideas and actions in individuals, institutions and systems in order to create an equal society. 

Ibram X. Kendi, race theory scholar and author of “How to Be An Antiracist”, offers this anti-racism definition: “I define an antiracist as someone who is expressing an antiracist idea or supporting an antiracist policy with their actions. And I define an antiracist idea as any idea that says the racial groups are equal.”

Just as racism is ingrained in our country, it is rooted in American institutions within American institutions and systems—and racism has “therefore affected social work ideology and practice for generations,” according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). “The mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, with particular attention to those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.” 

NASW notes that the child welfare system has often been harsher on Black, Brown and Indigenous families. In addition, medical racism persists and results in health disparities and health care inequities while the consequences of other social work issues, including mass incarceration, the war on drugs and the school-to-prison pipeline, have worsened economic inequalities in communities of color. According to NASW, “Social workers have had roles in perpetuating these harmful social systems, and this history cannot be ignored.” At the same time, “social work also has a major role to play in creating an antiracist society.”

Most people can identify examples of individual racism. Whether it’s someone on the street using a racial slur to refer to a person of color, an inappropriate meme being circulated on social media or even a white gunman shooting parishioners of a Black church, instances of individual racism tend to be overt. 

Institutional racism, on the other hand, may not be as obvious. Also known as structural racism, institutional racism in America can be defined as the perpetuation of inequality in institutions throughout our society, including schools, the court system and financial establishments. This “built-in” racism can affect entire racial groups.

A common example of institutional racism is “redlining,” a form of financial discrimination that describes the denial of home mortgages to otherwise creditworthy borrowers because of their race or where they are looking to buy a house. Other examples of institutional racism can be seen in our criminal justice system: Minorities are arrested and imprisoned at higher rates than others. 

Social work is a profession that is committed to helping and advocating for oppressed and disadvantaged people and fighting injustice in society. According to NASW, “Social workers have an ethical duty to dismantle racism, both personally and professionally, and to demonstrate what it means to be antiracist.” 

Social work ethics and values are spelled out in the NASW Code of Ethics. Using that as a guidepost, social workers can begin or continue their social justice social work with these actions:

Social workers work to create change using three interrelated scales or scopes of practice: micro, mezzo and macro social work. Anti-racism practices can be integrated into daily practices by following this framework. 

Family therapy and individual counseling fall under the micro social work category. Social workers have the opportunity to confront their own internalized racial bias toward others in these settings by self-reflecting on racial incidents they have experienced, considering their personal history, power, and position, and by identifying opportunities for change. 

Mezzo social work involves working with neighborhoods, institutions or other smaller groups, such as the staff of schools, hospitals, community centers and prisons. Anti-racism work in these settings might involve identifying unjust norms and working to address them as a group. This may look like calling out racism when you see it at home or at work in a productive, non-judgmental manner or joining an anti-racism book club.

Macro social work focuses on the big picture and the prevention of societal problems. It encompasses practices like social work research, community-based education and social justice initiatives, policy analysis and advocacy, and nonprofit administration and leadership. Macro-level social work involves using influence and privilege to dismantle racist practices and policies, such as by calling representatives to support and promote racial equity and the advancement of marginalized people in your community, city or state. Other opportunities might include participating in elections, petitions and protests promoting racial and social justice.

There is a wide range of anti-racism resources available to social workers, students and anyone committed to being anti-racist. This list is not exhaustive, but it’s a starting point for social workers interested in anti-racism work.  

There are several insightful anti-racism articles for social workers and the stakeholders they collaborate with. Here are a few: 

Anti-racism podcasts are a convenient way to stay up to date on all things social justice and social work. Here are some recommendations:

Looking for more than just podcasts? “SWCAREs: Social Work So White with Rachel Cargle” is a webinar that discusses white supremacy in academia, the role of white womanhood in oppression and how white saviorism harms the clients of social work practitioners. 

Here are a few books that can help social workers learn more about racial equity:

Last updated August 2021.

¹ NASW. “Social Workers Must Help Dismantle Systems of Oppression and Fight Racism Within Social Work Profession,” August 21, 2020. Accessed on August 16, 2021.