GLOSSARY – Racism

Racism is the construction of hierarchically valued differences on the basis of racial identity combined with a historically, socially, politically and economically disproportionate power structure.

Racism is not the same thing as discrimination, racism necessarily includes a societal asymmetrical power imbalance. In her book “Plantation Memories”, Grada Kilomba defines racism as prejudice plus power. Racism often manifests itself in individual racist acts and thoughts, these individual instances cannot however, be separated from the system of privileges and discrimination that allows and encourages them.

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