Racism Seems to be the Hardest Word: How Racialised Workers Make Sense of Racial Inequalities in Creative and Cultural Industries

The creative and cultural industries face an urgent challenge in addressing structural exclusion and forms of racism. This article, based on in-depth interviews with 42 Black, Asian and ethnically diverse creatives, reveals that nearly all respondents faced racial disadvantages hindering their career progression. However, it was striking how there are different degrees of willingness to attribute their struggles to structural racism. Our research uncovers the intricate interplay of race, class and the concept of post-racial meritocracy in the experiences of these creatives. By examining how the attachment to post-racial meritocracy shapes racialised individuals’ attitudes towards their structural disadvantages, we demonstrate the harm caused by their reluctance to acknowledge racism. This reluctance often leads to self-critique, perpetuating a cycle where structural racism remains unchallenged. We argue that denying and debating the existence of racism allows it to persist and stifles necessary frameworks to address these inequalities.