In order to build an understanding of anti-racism, we will start by considering what racism is and how it can function in society.
“Racism is a system, not an event.” J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, co-founder of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
Racism is more than individual acts of discrimination or personal prejudice and bias. It is a structural issue affecting us as a society and impacting all areas of life. As Wellcome explains in its Anti-Racist Principles and Toolkit:
“At a structural level, racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through institutional policies and practices, and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices. Only outcomes, not intent, demonstrate whether actions and policies are racist.”
As the quote above shows, structural racism discriminates against some, while giving power to others. Another way to talk about structural racism, particularly in the context of the UK and the Global North, is to name the system of white supremacy. The Anti-Racist Educator explains white supremacy below:
“Many people focus on the ideological meaning of white supremacy: the belief that white people are superior and should dominate other races…
“However, white supremacy is more than an ideology. It is a pervasive system that is easily identifiable in the West, resulting from the multiple histories of colonisation and exploitation of people of colour by white people.”
It is important to note that people who are impacted by structural racism do not have the same experiences. There are different forms of racism, from Anti-Blackness to Islamophobia, that have specific impacts for specific groups. We will consider different forms of racism later in this section.
In this module we will be addressing structural racism and how it works in museums in the UK. We will consider ways in which we can start to dismantle racism through anti-racist practice. Raising awareness of what structural racism can involve and some of the key issues at play can support your anti-racist work. The following exercises offer an opportunity to consider these ideas more closely.