We have launched a new suite of factsheets, based on the original guide, breaking down five of the most persistent myths and misconceptions about racism:  

1. The misconception that racism is only about individual actions and beliefs   
2. The myth of meritocracy   
3. The misconception of not “seeing” race   
4. The myth that “racism is a thing of the past”   
5. Misconceptions about anti-racism   

These resources consist of individual factsheets that unpack each of these myths and misconceptions and expand on the Myths & Misconceptions self-reflection and education guide published last year. While the original guide was intended to deepen understandings of race, racism and anti-racism in Australia, the new factsheets build on this foundation. The factsheets explore how the myths came about, and how they continue to influence our everyday lives, presented in a concise and accessible format.  

These resources have been designed to strengthen our understanding of racism and how it operates on a systemic level. Importantly, they also provide practical ways to challenge racism and enact change.

You can download the fact sheets through the links below: 

• Fact Sheet 1 
• Fact Sheet 2 
• Fact Sheet 3 
• Fact Sheet 4 
• Fact Sheet 5 

You can also download A3 poster versions of the fact sheets as well! These posters are perfect for a wide range of settings, including workplaces, libraries, schools, doctors’ offices, community centres, and many more. Wherever you display them, they’ll help spark important conversations that help to promote anti-racism. 

• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 1
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 2
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 3
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 4
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 5

Background

Phase I

In March 2021, the Commission called for a National Anti-Racism Framework and released a Concept Paper outlining guiding principles, outcomes, and strategies.

The Commission then undertook consultations with peak and community organisations, service providers, government departments and agencies, experts, and community members. 100 consultations were undertaken with approximately 300 organisations. The Commission partnered with community peaks and organisations as well as government departments to conduct 10 community consultations across the nation. The Commission also called for public submissions between October 2021 and February 2022 and received 164 submissions. The Commission released its National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. 

Phase II 

Since then, in addition to the below community consultations, the Commission has undertaken and commissioned additional research to progress the findings from the initial scoping phase including in the areas of data collection, anti-Asian racism and health. 

This year extensive community consultations about a National Anti-Racism Framework were undertaken. This included consultations with over 496 First Nations people across Australia, from diverse populations including those with metropolitan, rural and remote backgrounds, varying ages, genders and socio-economic backgrounds, and sectoral representation. These involved one-on-one interviews and focus groups, both in place and virtual, an online survey and group submissions, ensuring a wide range of voices were heard. 

Consultations with negatively racialised communities were also conducted, led by 18 organisations and comprised of 44 community consultations with over 860 participants. The consultations were conducted across all states and territories including remote, regional, and metropolitan areas, with a majority conducted face to face and others online. They included intersectional focus areas of LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; refugees and asylum seekers; older people; young people (18-25 years); people and communities of faith; new and emerging communities; and communities with prominent caste systems.  

Shift from Interpersonal Racism to Systemic Racism 

The findings from this initial scoping process were shared in the National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. The Scoping Report indicated strong support from participants across the board for a Framework as an overarching and coherent approach to anti-racism. Across the board, participants affirmed that First Nations self-determination, sovereignty and truth-telling should be central to the Framework. The following themes and sectors were also identified as areas of focus:

• Data collection
• Education and Public Awareness
• Cultural Safety
• Legal protections and Justice
• Health
• Media

• Read and download the National Anti-Racism Framework
• Read and download a summary of the National Anti-Racism Framework
• Read the media release 

Related reading

The following reports have contributed to the National Anti-Racism Framework:

• Mapping government programs and policies relevant to anti-racism
• Race Reporting Handbook
• An Anti-Racism Framework: The Perspectives of Multicultural Australia
• Anti-Asian Racism Research Project
• An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples

Acknowledgments 

The Commission recognises the ongoing strength and leadership of Australia’s First Peoples in leading anti-racism efforts since colonisation.

The Commission acknowledges the vast emotional and intellectual labour of the community, particularly those with lived experiences of racism, who shared their vision for a National Anti-Racism Framework that takes a transformative approach to addressing racism in Australia.

Image design copyright Bree Buttenshaw for Saltwater People (2024).

Key findings relate to:

• systemic racism
• unconscious bias
• historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation
• over-policing and incarceration, and
• accountability

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort to reform systems, educate individuals, 
and ensure meaningful representation and accountability for First Nations peoples.

The report makes recommendations for:

• legislative reform
• accountability mechanisms
• First Nations advisory bodies
• standardised cultural safety education
• cross-sector workforce strategies, and
• a standalone First Nations Anti-Racism Framework.
   

This report was produced for the Commission by First Nations Collective Consulting. The Commission is deeply grateful to all those who took part in the consultations and who shared their concerns, priorities and solutions.

The report’s findings were the subject of the 10th annual Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture. You can watch the lecture on our YouTube channel.

Downloads

• Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture 2024 - Marni Tuala (198.64 KB)
• An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples (3.02 MB)
• First Nations Consultations - Infographic (287.49 KB)

Journalists play a critical role in the way people are racialised. That’s why the Australian Human Rights Commission, in partnership with Media Diversity Australia, has produced the Race Reporting Handbook to help overcome misrepresentation and stereotyping.

From reporting on First Nations people reinforcing stereotypes to the cultural burden placed on people with lived experience of racism in newsrooms, the handbook reveals the inequity in our current media landscape and includes tips for newsrooms to overcome it.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said: “The media has the power to decide who tells stories, whose stories are told, and how they are told. If you are white, you are often centred in nearly every aspect of the media and rarely, if ever, need to be concerned about the way in which the media represents your race.”

"Responsible reporting which is built on racial literacy is essential for creating any anti-racist society. It’s time to shift narratives from sensationalist headlines and move to editorial decision-making that are reflective of stories that showcase strengths rather than diminish negatively racialised communities.

“The handbook contains principles and checklists for anti-racist journalistic and editorial practices, including recruitment for greater diversity in media workplaces. Inclusive storytelling will better amplify underrepresented voices for more robust reporting,” Commissioner Sivaraman said. 

Media Diversity CEO Mariam Veiszadeh highlighted the need for the handbook at a critical juncture in the Australian media landscape.

“If a person were of an Anglo background, would you, for example, reference their race? This is a crucial question to consider.

“Enhancing the racial literacy of a sector that informs and shapes the health of our democracy can result in more nuanced and inclusive reporting, greater audience reach, and a stronger, more resilient democracy.

The Race Reporting Handbook addresses how to combat structural and systemic racism in Australia's media landscape. It emphasises an anti-racist approach to reporting to assist media professionals in building stronger community connections and adopting more inclusive editorial policies.

The Commission is currently developing a model for a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Framework will be a whole-of-society approach to addressing racism and will coordinate anti-racism efforts across Australian governments and sectors including business, education, health, justice, and others.

This report will inform the Commission’s development of a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Commission has also conducted extensive consultations as part of this work, including with First Nations and other negatively racialised communities.

The Commission contracted PwC Indigenous Consulting and Jumbunna Institute to conduct the research and produce the report. 

Download PDF

Download Accessible Word

Report methodology

The research for the report focused on publicly available information from federal, state and local government as well as the community sector including legislation, strategies, plans and frameworks, Reconciliation Action Plans, resource materials, campaigns, research, reviews and evaluations, position statements and grant funding programs. A range of Interviews about relevant policy and programs were also conducted with stakeholders across all levels of government, relevant community organisations, First Nations groups and academic research specialists.

Key Findings

• There is a reluctance on the part of government to use the term ‘racism’
• Existing anti-racism work fails to enter public awareness, and has limited or no monitoring and evaluation or impact assessment
• The burden to address racism is still predominantly borne by people and communities who experience racism, rather than the systems, structures, and institutions that perpetuate it 
• Government work at all levels appears to be ad-hoc, disjointed, and reactive
• Government work is most commonly focused on internal staffing issues
• Policy approaches lead to negatively racialised communities having to compete with each other for funding
• There is limited focus in programs and policies on First Nations communities’ experiences of racism
• Local government tends not to see itself as being responsible for addressing racism
• There is a failure of political bipartisanship on addressing racism
• There are some good practice examples of effective programs that should be supported and amplified

Recommendations

The report makes several high-level recommendations to the Commission, which will be incorporated into the Framework’s ongoing development:

• Recommendation 1: Establishment of a National Anti-Racism Council that brings together First Nations and CALD leaders and experts for the first time to advise government on strategic directions for policy and programs.
• Recommendation 2: Development of a nationally recognised definition of racism.
• Recommendation 3: Development of a clear, whole of government strategic approach to addressing racism and racist behaviours in Australian society.
• Recommendation 4: Inclusion of a formal monitoring and evaluation approach in the Framework for tracking and reporting on progress and implementation of government work addressing racism.
• Recommendation 5: Addressing racism in schools to ensure victims do not leave education facing lifelong disadvantage, and perpetrators do not enter adulthood believing racist behaviours are acceptable and do not attract accountability.
• Recommendation 6: Establishment of a national database or clearinghouse of anti-racism work, policies and programs, research and outcomes.

Divided into three parts, the anti-racism resource provides a blueprint for teachers and educators to understand and address racism.

Part one, education, outlines racism and its impacts.
 
Part two of the resource, action, addresses the actions someone can take to combat racism and have necessary conversations.

Part three of the resource, change, provides suggestions for changes teachers and educators can make to dismantle racism in education and outlines strategies for all levels of education.
 

You can learn more about the resource and download it on Reconciliation South Australia's website. 

The ultimate goal of a cultural temperature check is the creation of a culturally safe and racially equitable workplace environment through practical, meaningful, and active anti-racism strategies.

A cultural temperature check should identify any structural barriers, risks, or issues in relation to the current promotion and implementation of cultural diversity and anti-racism in your workplace. As well as this, it should seek to foster self-reflection by engaging with staff at all levels on the impacts of power and privilege. 

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC’s) Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool is a great first step to assessing the current level of cultural inclusivity within your organisation. This tool can be used in tandem with this guide (available for download below) to conduct a comprehensive check of your organisation. These resources are directly geared towards creating positive change and embedding anti-racism in the workplace.

You can access and read more about the Anti-Colonial Research Library on their website.

Conversations about the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament have the potential to be harmful for First Nations peoples. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Voice referendum resources seek to minimise harm by encouraging cultural humility and focusing the conversation on human rights principles as they relate to the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament.

There are nine documents in the resource kit – available to download in full on the Commission's website.

The stand-alone resources are available for individual download on the webpages linked below:

• The Uluru Statement from the Heart.
• Minimising harm in conversations about the referendum.
• Indigenous Rights & the Voice.
• The history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples advocating for the right to be heard.
• Symbolic change or substantive reform.
• Self-determination and Indigenous peoples.
• The Voice and human rights.
• Referendums and constitutional change.
• Support services.

Acknowledgements

The Commission thanks IndigenousX, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated media, consultancy and training organisation, for their generous guidance and expertise on this project until mid-June 2023. The Commission was grateful for the opportunity to partner with IndigenousX due to their impartial and non-partisan position on the upcoming referendum and demonstrated understanding of the Commission’s independent and statutory role. Further, IndigenousX's insights into the nature of race and racism in Australia along with their dedication to ensuring careful consideration of and respect for Indigenous rights, knowledges, and experiences, proved invaluable to the development of these resources. 

The Commission also thanks Saltwater People, an Indigenous-owned, full-service creative agency that delivers strategic design communications and cross-cultural engagement. Throughout the development of this resource kit, they generously provided expertise in best practice cross-cultural engagement, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and visual communication.

Please note, the artwork accompanying this kit is © Paul Bong.