In a series of lectures at the College de France 1975–1976 entitled ‘Society must be defended’, Michel Foucault made the following observation: ‘sovereignty’s old right – to take life or let live ... came to be complemented by ... the power to “make” live and “let” die’. Foucault connected this disposition with socio-political events and concluded that modern societies, though describing their machinations as being in a state of peace, are internally at war with subjects or bodies produced as belonging to an ‘inferior species’. This paper connects Foucault’s understanding of ‘racism’ with the concept of ‘fields of visibility’ to explore the creation of culturally competent practices among social work students when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.