Racism. It Stops With Me acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and pays respect to Elders, past, present and future. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images, voices, or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

Myths and Misconceptions about Racism

We all have a role to play in building our own anti-racism skillset, and challenging myths and misconceptions about racism in Australia

The way race and racism are talked about in Australia has been shaped by the ongoing impacts of British colonisation, since it began in 1788. This has led to structural and systemic racism across the continent, including intersectional forms of discrimination, which are deeply rooted in myths and misconceptions. 

These myths and misconceptions often prevent us from having meaningful conversations about race or addressing racism. Awareness and understanding of these concepts better equip us in conversations about race and racism and support the development of our personal anti-racism practice and skillset.

Read the full guide

This self-reflection and education guide aims to support and enhance understandings of race, racism, and anti-racism in Australia. The guide seeks to encourage us to stop and think about the various opinions, stories, and terms we encounter about race, racism, and anti-racism and empowers us to identify, and think critically about common myths and misconceptions.

Read the guide
"5 Common Myths and Misconceptions about racism" artwork

What do we mean by ‘myth’? 

A widely held but false belief or idea.

What do we mean by ‘misconception’? 

A belief or idea that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding.

 

A myth is inconsistent with widely supported research whereas a misconception is incorrectly inferred from other information

We are grateful for the following contributions:

  • The guide was developed with advice and editorial input from IndigenousX, a 100% owned and operated media, consultancy and training organisation
  • Fantastic illustrations by Desirai Saunders, who works on Meanjin country alongside her family and community to preserve and celebrate Aboriginal culture. Desirai is known for her culturally strong and independent women and non-binary characters
  • Resource design by Saltwater People, an Indigenous-owned, full service creative agency and social enterprise. 

Myths and Misconceptions About Racism: Fact Sheets

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: 

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.