Racism refers to entrenched social structures rooted in the belief that different races respectively possess superior and inferior qualities and capacities. Racism informed the enslavement of African peoples, genocide of Indigenous peoples, and conquest of other people by Europeans as part of 16-18th century colonialism. Racism refers to discriminatory behaviors and attitudes against people based on their race (or presumed race). Legal and justice systems, educational systems and political systems are all infused with racism in their practices, both historically and in the present day. Individuals harbor racist attitudes and behaviors, often unconscious or implicit. 

Educational systems have historically played a strong role in upholding racist practices like segregating students based on race and providing more funding and resources to the group with more power. 

In recent decades, education systems, especially in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Central and South America have worked to replace Eurocentric tropes (including notions of white supremacy) with local, indigenous content and ideas. 

Gender transformative education continues this effort and actively strives to uphold anti-racist practices in schooling, which challenge white supremacist structures.