Understanding Overt vs. Covert Racism

What is Racism?

The Anti-Defamation League defines racism as the marginalization and oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people. Racism is shown by behavior that may be overt (direct) or covert (indirect).

The United States’ complicated history with racism puts race on the front lines of public discourse. While Americans tend to focus on overt forms of white supremacy, such as racial slurs and violent crimes, covert racism often goes unchecked.

Overt Racism

Overt racism involves conscious and deliberate acts of intolerance and hatred perpetrated by groups or individuals. Overt racism depicts beliefs, attitudes, and practices that are expressed publicly or in an obvious way.

• Includes any speech or behaviors that demonstrate a conscious acknowledgment of racist attitudes and beliefs.
• Rooted in white supremacy ideology, which it seeks to reinforce and maintain
• Distinguished by the blatant use of negative attitudes, ideas, actions directed at nonwhite racial groups
• Can be practiced by individuals, groups, institutions, and across societies

Based on research done by Fitchburg State University

Covert Racism

Covert racism expresses racist ideas, attitudes, or beliefs in subtle or hidden forms. Often unchallenged, this type of discrimination doesn’t appear to be racist because it is indirect behavior.

• Acts to subvert, distort, restrict, and deny racial minorities access to societal privileges and benefits
• A key feature of covert racism is that its disguised nature allows perpetrators to claim “plausible deniability” and to gaslight their victims essentially, that is, to deny that the act was racist and undermine any claim of harm
• May be implicit as a result of unconscious bias that exists within an individual, regardless of ill-will or any self-aware prejudices

Based on research done by Fitchburg State University