A guidebook for building and sustaining Racial Equity Learning-Action Communities in academia

Due to the longstanding issue of systemic racial inequity in academia, there is a pressing need for sustainable antiracist communities within academic settings. While many in academia aspire to antiracist practice, practical frameworks for weaving antiracist education and actions into academic life are scarce. In this guide, we share our experiences within a Racial Equity Learning-Action Community that has been active since 2020. We discuss how others can 1) create a community founded on similar principles, 2) implement antiracist actions as a collective, and 3) highlight successful, enduring antiracist initiatives. We offer a blueprint for how academics can engage in antiracist efforts alongside colleagues, illustrating how such groups can foster and sustain antiracist actions. We share this framework in the hope that it will equip others with the tools needed to establish and maintain their own Racial Equity Learning-Action Communities.