 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Racism creates a divisive and unwelcoming environment, especially for people who are members of the discriminated-against group. It undermines collaboration and causes disruption and conflict merely by existing. Editors who express racists beliefs or who display racist imagery or ideas on their user pages should be immediately reported at ANI, under the same principles and for the same reasons as are described in WP:No Nazis. |
Racism of various kinds have been a recurring problem on Wikipedia, and nearly since its inception. Indeed, most of the article subjects topics that have been placed under discretionary sanctions are those in which racist sentiments (and accusations of such) have played a major role. Racism will usually have a profound effect on an editor's judgment; it will color facts and push the editor to believe in conspiracy theories and pseudoscience, and use those ideologies to justify their beliefs. On the other hand, unsupported accusations of racism toward other editors will always be considered uncivil personal attacks (and possibly even harassment), bestow a negative chilling effect on otherwise-positive and collaborative discussions, and add much more difficultly for administrators to properly identify and block racist editors.
Editors motivated by racism, and editors who see racism in anything they disagree with, are disruptive to the community, and will be blocked or banned if they participate, engage, or express support for racism in their actions or behaviors.