Tema Okun is a renowned American Jewish educator, author, and anti-racist activist. She is best known for her research on the characteristics of “White Supremacy Culture,” with work that has influenced thousands of social justice organizations and academic institutions.
One of Okun’s most significant achievements is her 1999 article White Supremacy Culture. This foundational text identifies common behavioral patterns within organizations—such as perfectionism, a sense of urgency, and quantity over quality—and explains how these patterns sustain inequitable power structures. She is a core member of the dismantling Racism Works (dRworks) collective and has taught at several universities. Her career is dedicated to helping institutions identify and dismantle systemic racism from within, fostering more inclusive and human-centered collaborative models.
Okun’s stance is deeply rooted in the concept of “Collective Liberation.” As a Jewish woman, she is an active participant in Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and a staunch opponent of the occupation of Palestinian land. She argues that true racial justice cannot be achieved without challenging all forms of dispossession and dehumanization. She has noted: “We cannot talk about dismantling white supremacy while remaining silent about military occupation carried out in our name. True safety is not built with walls, but through the recognition of everyone’s dignity. Palestinian freedom is intimately tied to our own moral integrity.”
She has signed numerous public statements calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to military aid, working to integrate Palestinian human rights into anti-racist educational narratives.