For several years now, a phrase has been recurrent in French public debate, used to discredit discussions on discrimination: “anti-white racism.” It is mainly propagated by the far right, its supporters, and certain media outlets, often inclined to stoke social tensions to suppress any questioning of institutional racism affecting visible minorities, particularly those of immigrant backgrounds.

In reality, “anti-white racism” is neither a systemic phenomenon nor a proven sociological reality, but rather an ideological construct designed to delegitimize the fight against structural racial discrimination by creating a false equivalence. Fundamental definitions of racism and analyses of historical and contemporary power relations expose its inconsistency.

Racism is not merely about prejudice or individual hostility. It is a system of historical, economic, and political oppression founded on racial hierarchies. In France, as in most Western societies, this system was built through colonization, slavery, and white domination. Slavery and the transatlantic slave trade were organized by European powers for the benefit of a white elite. Colonization, in turn, established a supposed white racial superiority, justifying the exploitation of non-European peoples. France’s state, economic, and cultural structures remain deeply marked by this history.

Today, systemic racism in France is evident. Hiring discrimination is widely documented in numerous scientific and institutional studies. According to the International Labour Organization, for candidates with equal qualifications, a “white” applicant is 40% more likely to be invited for an interview than one perceived as “Arab” or “Black.” Racial profiling is also a reality: young men perceived as “non-white” are up to 20 times more likely to be stopped and searched. Furthermore, police violence disproportionately targets minorities.

In this context, invoking so-called “anti-white racism” is a deliberate attempt to deny these structural discriminations. Hostile remarks toward white individuals, however reprehensible, do not constitute an inverted system of racial domination. Judicial statistics clearly show that the primary victims of hate speech are overwhelmingly non-white individuals. This is no coincidence: racist acts predominantly target those in a position of social disadvantage. In France, white people constitute the dominant group and occupy a privileged social position.

The notion of “anti-white racism” largely emerges in discourse from those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of white privilege. In France, a white individual will never face discrimination in employment, housing, the justice system, or public spaces due to their skin color. This notion serves to obscure the country’s colonial past and its enduring legacy, as well as institutionalized racism within society.

The concept of “white privilege” is not stigmatizing. It simply reflects a historical reality: white individuals enjoy advantages that non-white individuals are systematically denied. Similarly, “male privilege” refers to systemic discrimination—the oldest in the world—against women. No one would seriously claim that men face widespread discrimination. In a world structured by patriarchy, such a notion would be a historical, political, and sociological absurdity.

The rhetoric of “anti-white racism” is dangerous because it serves as a distraction, perpetuating structural inequalities. It fuels division, resentment, and hatred, fostering fear—the very climate in which the far right thrives, playing on fantasies of ethnic conflict or the so-called “Great Replacement.” Ultimately, “anti-white racism” is nothing more than a baseless political and media-driven fabrication designed to discredit those who expose real discrimination.

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