I Part: Whiteness
In one of my previous articles, I wrote about intersectionality as a framework developed by Black feminist movements to recognise the different forms of social injustice that people experience. One of these oppressions is race. Individuals are often “othered” because of their skin colour, culture, language, or background. This process of othering is a form of racism.
Have you ever experienced racism because you are not white?
I have. Over the years, I have been called “brown” or “chocolate.” I have been told that I have “bad hair,” that I need to “improve the race,” and I have often felt like a token person in professional spaces. These experiences may seem small to some people, but they are all connected to a larger structure: Whiteness.
Many people do not want to talk about racism. It is an uncomfortable subject because it requires confronting privilege and acknowledging systems that benefit some while disadvantaging others. Nevertheless, discomfort should not prevent us from having these conversations.
What is Whiteness?
Frantz Fanon, a political philosopher and psychologist, describes in his book Black Skin White Masks (1952). Whiteness can be understood as a historical, ideological, and political system, constructed to oppress communities who are not from the Global North as inferior because of their skin colour, religion, cultures, and languages.
The roots of this system can be traced back to colonialism in America (continent). One example is the Spanish caste system (Sistema de Castas), a rigid social hierarchy that categorised people according to race, ethnicity, and place of birth. These categories determined access to rights, social status, and economic opportunities.
This hierarchy helped shape modern ideas of race and established links between power, privilege, and whiteness. These pillars orchestrate ‘Otherness’.
considered fully human and who was not. Through this ideology, Indigenous and Black populations were exploited, displaced, enslaved, or subjected to projects of “civilisation” for economic and political gain (Whiteness, workshop, Afroméminas).
Although colonial empires have formally ended, many of these structures continue to influence contemporary societies through institutions, culture, media, and capitalism (Whiteness, workshop, Afroméminas).
Many expressions we use without thinking carry traces of these histories. Terms such as “blacklist,” “work like a slave,” or assumptions that “white is beautiful” and “black is ugly” reflect ideas embedded within systems of racial hierarchy.
Popular culture reproduces these narratives as well. Black characters are often portrayed as criminals, violent individuals, servants, or hypersexualised figures. When Disney released The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey, the backlash revealed how strongly some audiences remain attached to white-centred ideas of beauty and representation.
Brazilian philosopher Djamila Ribeiro argues that racialised people often occupy the lowest positions in the social hierarchy. Understanding this reality requires questioning what society presents as normal.
Nothing is naturally normal. Norms are created, maintained, and reproduced.
Stay tuned for Part II, where we explore privilege.
References
Álvarez Palominio, Z. Curso Feminismos Negros de Abya Yala. Afroféminas. Octubre. 2025.
BBC Broadcast Company. FIFA to pay Somali referee Artan full World Cup fee. June 14, 2026.
Fanon, F. Black Skin White Masks. 1952.
France 24 News.Fact-checking claims that Senegal’s football team were treated like ‘criminals’ at US airport. (June 10, 2026).
Lodge, R. Why I’m no Longer Talking About Race. 2017.
Green, S. My notes.
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