“The Myth of Whiteness as Cleanliness: A Settler Colonial, White Supremacist, and Patriarchal Construction.”

Our contemporary cleanliness practices emerged in the late 19th century alongside what I call the myth of whiteness as cleanliness. In addition to shaping our contemporary cleanliness practices, I will argue that this myth contributed to ideologies that support settler colonial, white supremacist, and patriarchal gender practices. Further, this deeply entrenched myth continues to manifest today as seen in the marketing of cleanliness products as 'civilizing,' the racialization of disease (such as COVID-19), the placement of toxic waste facilities, the disparity of access to hygiene products and sanitation, and beyond.