Ontological Branding: Power, Privilege, and White Supremacy in a Colorblind World

Ontological Branding: Power, Privilege, and White Supremacy in a Colorblind World investigates antiblack racism in the United States by arguing that race is a tool to brand persons of color as subordinate, excluding them from full participation in the rights and privileges of personhood and relegating them to ways of being in service to the white world. This white supremacist system was created through law and requires a critical race consciousness that accounts for the ontology of race to achieve ontological justice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

In his groundbreaking book, Ontological Branding: Power, Privilege, and White Supremacy in a Colorblind World, Bonard Iván Molina García delves into the profound issue of antiblack racism in the United States. Through the lens of Heideggerian tool ontology, Molina García offers a novel and thought-provoking perspective on race and racial justice. He argues that race is not merely a biological or social construct, but rather a powerful tool used to brand persons of color, particularly Black individuals, as subordinate and inferior. This branding is done in order to privilege whiteness as the ideal state of persons in a world that is created by and for persons, where all individuals are supposedly equal.

As a result, persons of color, particularly Black persons, are excluded from full participation in the rights and privileges of personhood. Instead, they are relegated to ways of being that serve the white world. This white supremacist system was established through law and has persisted despite significant changes over time. However, the current approach to racial justice in the United States, guided by colorblindness, merely serves to safeguard white supremacy.

Molina García contends that racial justice requires a critical race consciousness that goes beyond mere awareness and understanding. It necessitates a deeper exploration of the ontology of race, which encompasses the philosophical and ethical dimensions of race. By recognizing the inherent power and privilege associated with whiteness, as well as the historical and systemic injustices perpetuated against persons of color, we can begin to work towards a more equitable and just society.

In conclusion, Ontological Branding: Power, Privilege, and White Supremacy in a Colorblind World is a crucial contribution to the ongoing conversation about race and racial justice. Through his innovative approach, Bonard Iván Molina García challenges us to rethink our understanding of race and to work towards a more inclusive and equitable world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666902358