Racialization: A Web without A Spider?

On this episode of ‘At the Forefront’ we explore and debate the notion that racialization is a web without a spider, namely a system that currently exists even when the perpetuators of the system are seemingly not present.

Scholar Professor John Powell asserts ‘ “Racialization” connotes a process rather than a static event. It underscores the fluid and dynamic nature of race. Moreover, “racism” is understood as a consciously motivated force. “Racialization” implies a process or set of processes that may or may not be animated by conscious forces. “Racism” invites a search for a racist actor, much as a web suggests the presence of a spider. “Structural Racialization” is a set of processes that may generate disparities or depress life outcomes without any racist actors. It is a web without a spider. ‘ (Powell, JA. Poverty and Race (22)5:3-5.