multicultural Hot Words

Anti-racism...

Definition

Anti-racism is the act of intentionally working against racism in all of its forms. Anti-racism initiatives involve raising consciousness about issues relating to racism and taking action to address social and structural issues that perpetuate racism. This includes racist acts and behaviours, institutional racism and subconscious prejudice that we all learn as children and largely don’t recognise is there. The aim of anti-racism programs is to create an inclusive and harmonious society where all people are treated fairly, with dignity and respect.

What makes it hot?

Anti-racism is hot as racism is often supported by denial, defensiveness and inaction. We tend to think of racism as blatant and direct but some forms of discrimination, such as indirect discrimination, are subtle. An example of indirect racism would be not allowing any headwear to be worn in school. While this rule may apply to everyone, it adversly affects people from groups where religious observance requires the wearing of headwear such as Sikh males. An example of direct racism would be not giving someone a job on the basis of their race. Some people question the effectiveness of anti-racism programs, as attempting to change a person’s world-view or values is a complex challenge. The difficulty of packaging the message of anti-racism is compounded by different views as to the extent to which the message is needed and the extent to which it can be effective.

Date Added:

10 March 2002