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"5 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Racism" Self-Reflection and Education Guide

by Racism. It Stops With Me Campaign Team | Guide/Tool
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.

This self-reflection and education guide was developed by the Racism. It Stops WIth Me Campaign Team with advice and editorial input from IndigenousX. This guide was developed to support people to build their racial literacy and their confidence in identifying and thinking critically about things that arise when learning about race and racism in Australia. 

The way race and racism are talked about in Australia has largely 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, which are deeply rooted in myths and misconceptions. These myths and misconceptions can often prevent us from having meaningful and productive conversations about race or addressing racism. 

Building awareness and understanding of these concepts equips us in conversations about race and racism and supports us to develop our personal anti-racism practice and skillset. 

Who is this guide for?

This resource aims to support you to develop your anti-racism skillset. 

The myths and misconceptions explored in this guide are common barriers to challenging our pre-existing ideas and learning more about racism. This resource will equip you with the tools to break down this barrier, learn more about race and racism and have productive conversations about combatting racism in our communities. 

What does this guide cover?

This guide explores the following common myths and misconceptions:

  1. The misconception that racism is 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.

 

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Download the Accessible Word version 

5 common myths and misconceptions about racism
three, the misconception of not "seeing" race
One, the misconception that racism is about individual actions
Four, the myth that "racism is a thing of the past"
two, the myth of meritocracy
five, misconceptions about anti-racism
5 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Racism Guide (PDF)