Creative Equity Toolkit

When is it OK for white people to ask about other people’s ethnicity?

In this advice column, writer Sisonke Msimang explores the complexities of white curiosity about race and ethnicity. With insights from Dr Kathomi Gatwiri, she explains that while curiosity itself isn’t wrong, repeated questions about someone’s background—especially based on appearance—can be exhausting and reductive. Instead of focusing on difference, Msimang encourages building genuine relationships and seeking points of connection before asking personal questions about heritage.

“Where Are You From?” Racial Microaggressions

In this article, Dr Zuleyka Zevallos unpacks how the seemingly innocent question “Where are you from?” functions as a racial microaggression in Australia. Repeatedly asking this question—especially of people of colour—reinforces the idea that only white people are truly “Australian,” and positions others as perpetual outsiders.

Why Amy Cooper’s Use of ‘African-American’ Stung

Commentary on an incident in New York when white woman Amy Cooper called the police on African American Christian Cooper, claiming he was threatening her life, though her employer requires employees to take anti-bias training every year.

'there has been little rigorous evaluation of the training strategies deployed to combat it, and as a result we simply don’t know enough about what makes a difference. “It often has the feeling of being a one-and-done kind of thing: ‘We did it'."

Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race

The blog post that kick-started the award-winning book of the same name.

'I can’t talk to white people about race anymore because of the consequential denials, awkward cartwheels and mental acrobatics that they display when this is brought to their attention.'