anti-Black / anti-Blackness
Last updatedWhat to know
The term “anti-Black” describes racist practices, attitudes, systems and behaviors targeting Black people specifically, and ultimately in service upholding white supremacy and its hierarchies. But anti-Blackness can be practiced by anyone of any color, including Black people who may weaponize it against each other or, internally, against themselves.
Related phenomena include misogynoir (hatred of or prejudice against Black women) and colorism (the practice of favoring lighter skin over darker skin, especially within a racial or ethnic group).
Anti-Blackness can contribute to disparities in health, income, education, and more — both systemically and through personal/individual biases — so it’s important to acknowledge these disparities and explore contributing systemic factors when covering these and similar inequities in Black communities.
Additional resources
- Recognizing And Dismantling Your Anti-Blackness (Forbes)
- Anti-Blackness by Christina Bush (American University)
- Race and Ethnicity Terms & Definitions (Amherst College)
- Give Black Employees Time to Rest and Recover (Harvard Business Review)
- Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness (New York Times)
Summary
“Anti-Black” is used to describe actions, attitudes, systems and behaviors geared toward subjugating, dehumanizing, and/or discriminating against Black people or Blackness. When exploring disparities in health, income, education, and more among Black communities, it’s important to explore the effects of anti-Blackness, at both a systemic and an individual level.