Home Old primary How to think critically about the idea of “reverse racism”

How to think critically about the idea of “reverse racism”

Mar 8, 2023

Read time: 12 min

Key points

“Reverse racism” is the false belief that white people are treated unfairly as a result of policies put into place to assist communities that have been historically discriminated against (e.g., affirmative action).
There’s undeniable evidence that throughout history, people of color have been underprivileged and underrepresented in social institutions.
These frustrations felt by some white people are not the same thing as racism because they’re not rooted in the same systemic skin color discrimination.

If you’ve heard the term “reverse racism,” it’s probably been in the context of affirmative action policies or reparations (think: a scholarship for people of color or a career role offered exclusively for a member of a minority community). These programs are attempts to acknowledge and repair the discrimination that people of color have endured for far too long. Unfortunately, these policies are often misunderstood and seen as unfair by some white people.

What is reverse racism?

“Reverse racism refers to the concept of discrimination against white people,” says Christian Stokke, a racism researcher and associate professor of anthropology at the University of South-Eastern Norway in Notodden. “It is called ‘reverse racism’ because it goes in the opposite direction of white-against-Black racism.”

Why reverse racism isn’t racism

The fact is that, historically, white people have been offered better opportunities. As a result, people of color are vastly underrepresented through our political, legal, educational, media, and corporate institutions.

Racism is when a person or group of people are discriminated against because of their ethnicity or skin color. Racism is systemic—it’s embedded in our social, economic, and political systems. The fact is that, historically, white people have been offered better opportunities. As a result, people of color are vastly underrepresented through our political, legal, educational, media, and corporate institutions. Reverse racism isn’t actually racism because there’s no systemic oppression of white people; it ignores the power and privilege dynamic.

“The impulse behind the reverse racism argument seems to be a desire to prove that people of color don’t have it that bad; they’re not the only ones that are put at a disadvantage or targeted because of their race,” says Zeba Blay, a New York City activist, Ghanaian-American culture writer, and author of Carefree Black Girls. “It’s like the racism Olympics. And it’s patently untrue.”

Some white communities in America are underserved and struggling (consider Appalachia and other poorer, rural communities). And white people can experience racial prejudice, but that differs from racism in that it’s not systemic. It simply isn’t comparable to the oppression and unfair treatment that Black people have experienced throughout history.

“As a white male, I have personally never experienced anything near the discrimination experienced by minorities and POC [people of color]. The idea that white people can experience any level of discrimination comparable is false and harmful.”
—Second-year undergraduate, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

How to understand privilege

Evidence also shows that historically, government policies and social norms have produced better outcomes for some members of society than for others (which is what we refer to as “privilege”).

A study conducted in 2022 found that of 83,000 fictitious job applicants, those with Black-sounding names were called back less often than candidates with white-sounding names, even though they had comparable qualifications to the candidates with white-sounding names.

“If reverse racism were an issue, it would mean that we live in a world where all racial groups have equal, institutional, social, and systemic power. We don’t.” —Third-year undergraduate, University of Maryland, College Park

“The problem with the concept of reverse racism is that it ignores the power dimension,” says Stokke. “For example, while some individual Black business owners may discriminate against white job seekers, the consequences of white racism against Black people are much greater because the majority of large companies are owned by white people.”

Five ways to think constructively about reverse racism

If you find yourself feeling frustrated about affirmative action, consider the greater good instead of your individual situation.

“People often believe deserving white students are discriminated against while students [of color] are given highly coveted college or company positions just because they happen to tick the ‘ethnic minority’ box,” says Blay. “This argument ignores the fact that affirmative action did not come out of nowhere—there was a need for a system that would address the decades of underrepresentation of people of color both academically and in the job world.”

Keep in mind that all candidates and applicants have to meet the criteria and qualifications for these opportunities—they are not awarded solely based on a person’s ethnic background.

“Realize that white students are privileged even if they’ve worked hard to get where they are.” —Fifth-year undergraduate, University of Regina, Saskatchewan

1. Pay attention to real-world examples

A big part of respect comes from awareness. That means paying attention to how systemic racism works in the real world. Here are a few facts to keep in mind: When it comes to corporate institutions, there’s a huge imbalance. Out of the over 4,900 banking institutions in the US, only 32 banks and credit unions are owned by people of color.

The same disparity exists in government. Out of 45 presidents, just one has been a person of color. And in the 232-year history of the US Senate, only 11 senators have been Black.

As of 2019, only 27 Black CEOs have made the Fortune 500 list in its 68 years of existence (this annual list, published by Fortune magazine, ranks the 500 largest companies in the US based on revenue each year).

2. Listen and learn

Make it a point to learn about systemic racism and consume content on race-related topics. This might be a book, magazine, podcast, or Netflix series (a quick internet search will suggest titles for each, or you can look through some other options in the “Get Help or Find Out More” section below).

“Listening is a big step. Instead of bringing in a counterargument when a person of color talks about their experience, listen. Too many voices are silenced because of inadequate representation in media, faculty, etc.” —Third-year undergraduate, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario

With the rise of social media, you might also want to follow some minority influencers or anti-racist education accounts to get a closer perspective. Here are a few popular Instagram accounts to check out and follow: