What is the significance of Othello's race in Othello by William Shakespeare?

Othello's status as a black man in a white man's world is of vital importance to the plot of Shakespeare's Othello. In defiance of stereotypical and racist assumptions about the black community during Shakespeare's day, Othello is a dignified, honorable man who enjoys considerable power and influence. Moreover, Othello proves himself to be an eloquent and gifted speaker, as he consistently employs sophisticated rhetoric when communicating with his peers. Clearly, Othello deconstructs the racist stereotypes that characterize black individuals as dangerous or uncivilized beings. The fact that he does so invokes the hatred of those white individuals unwilling to accept a black man with intelligence, power, nobility, and dignity. For example, though Iago seeks revenge because he wants the promotion Othello gives to Cassio, we can assume there's a racist subtext underlying this primary motive. Indeed, it's possible to see Iago's plot as the racist effort to oppress a black man who has attained power in a white society. As such, we can see that Othello's race is vitally significant to the play's plot.