The western world views Jesus as a caucasian with caucasian features due mainly to the Renaissance masters who painted and sculpted in the Greek tradition.
Discrimination in any form is to deny Jesus' own words when He commanded us to "love your neighbor as yourself", and what Paul wrote:
Galatians 3:27-29
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. NAS
As to your question concerning African Popes, since I am not Catholic I had to search the Internet for an answer.
Victor was the first African pope (i.e., from the Roman provinces of Africa. He could have been a native or a descendant of Roman colonists; Romans were largely colorblind and a person's race was rarely recorded). His reign extended from about 189 to 199. Conscious of the nature of baptism, Victor decreed that anyone baptized in an emergency should be treated as a Christian in full standing, not as a neophyte undergoing catechesis
http://www.saintvictor.org/who.html
African Popes
There were three African Popes who came from the region of North Africa. Although there are no authentic portraits of these popes, there are drawings and references in the Catholic Encyclopedia as to their being of African background. The names of the Three African Popes are: Victor (183-203 A.D.), Gelasius (492-496 A.D.), and Mechiades or Militiades (311-314 A.D.). All are saints.
http://www.nbccongress.org/black-cathol ... -popes.asp
Personally I do not understand discrimination. My father was an atheist and raised all his children to accept people for who they are. His way of expressing this was the to say "All men are equal since they all put their pants on one leg at a time." Any racial slur resulted in immediate discipline.
I agree somewhat with you professor, I no longer have any pictures of Jesus or any crosses in my home, but not because I believe they promote discrimination. I don't need an icon or a symbol to worship God through His beloved Son.