Anti-black racism and othering: an exploration of the lived experience of black Africans who live in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, I discuss findings of a qualitative research conducted among thirty participants on their lived experiences with anti-black racism and Othering, highlighting the lived reality of being becoming and being positioned as a racialized subject. Building on critical race, post-colonial, everyday racism, and Foucauldian theories, I link my analysis of participants’ experiences to Australia’s history and the legacy of past racist policies and immigration practices, making the case of black African vulnerability, exclusion, marginalization, and disadvantage. The findings provide empirical lens and frameworks to understand black African immigration and experiences in Australia and contribute to growing scholarship on the diasporic black African experiences. By focusing on black Africans, the article shows how skin color, alongside race, combines to reveal how the participants’ experience broadens our understanding of black Africans incorporation, identification, and inclusion in White settler colonial and dominated societies. In order to better improve outcomes for black Africans and transform society, I argue for tackling systemic anti-black racism and Othering practices by pursuing policies and practices that promote racial equity and create a more just and socially inclusive multicultural society, where all benefit and feel a sense of belonging.