Myths and misconceptions about Racism

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.

What do we mean when say 'Myth' and 'Misconception'?

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.

Self-Reflection and Education Guide

This guide explores the following common myths and misconceptions:

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

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.