Beyond Colour‑Blindness: Anti‑Racist Practices in Two Segregated Swedish Schools

This article examines anti‑racist efforts in two schools located in structurally disadvantaged suburbs of Swedish cities. Most pupils in these segregated schools come from low‑income, migrant‑background families. Data were collected using ethnographic methods. The schools form part of a group that previously recorded low academic achievement but has shown improved student performance, largely due to bottom‑up initiatives developed by educators in collaboration with pupils’ families and civil‑society organisations. The study is grounded in a Critical Educational Studies (CES) perspective and draws on Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of liberation as its theoretical framework. The results, consistent with earlier research, show that effective anti‑racist practices include incorporating pupils’ lived experiences into pedagogy, supporting students who have experienced racism and collaborating with families and civil society organisations. The study also identifies challenges, including internalised racism, the reproduction of racial hierarchies between differently racialised groups and external political pressures. The findings demonstrate that, despite the dominance of colour‑blind approaches in Swedish education, educators can create ‘spaces of possible action’ within existing school structures. By moving beyond colour‑blindness, they promote students’ critical awareness, agency and capacity to respond to racism.