Resisting Racial Capitalism: An Antipolitical Theory of Refusal

Ida Danewid contends that state power is essential to racial capitalism's violent regimes of extraction and accumulation and that anarchism offers an antipolitical archive of resistance that spans from Rio de Janeiro to Europe, Ogoniland, and Delhi. Resisting Racial Capitalism calls on us to dream bolder and better to (un)build the world anew.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Freedom is a complex concept that cannot be fully understood without considering the role of the state. While some may argue that freedom can exist without the state, others contend that the state is essential to ensuring individual rights and freedoms. In this essay, we will explore the various perspectives on freedom and the state, and consider what freedom means without, and despite, the state.

Ida Danewid, a scholar and activist, argues that state power is central to racial capitalism's violent regimes of extraction and accumulation. She traces the global histories of four technologies of state violence: policing, bordering, wastelanding, and reproductive control. Through her research, Danewid excavates an antipolitical archive of anarchism that spans from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the borderlands of Europe, the poisoned landscape of Ogoniland, and the queer lifeworlds of Delhi.

Danewid theorizes these modes of refusal as a utopian worldmaking project that seeks not just better ways of being governed, but an end to governance in its entirety. She believes that these modes of refusal offer a vision of a world where individuals are free to live their lives without the constraints of state power.

However, in a time where the state remains hegemonic across the Left-Right political spectrum, Resisting Racial Capitalism calls on us to dream bolder and better in order to (un)build the world anew. We must challenge the dominant narratives that perpetuate state power and work towards creating a more just and equitable society.

One way to achieve this is by building alternative institutions and networks that are outside of the control of the state. This can include community-based organizations, cooperatives, and social movements that prioritize the needs and rights of marginalized communities.

Another approach is to challenge the power of corporations and the capitalist economy. This can involve advocating for policies that promote worker ownership, social justice, and environmental sustainability, and by supporting movements that challenge corporate dominance.

Ultimately, freedom is a deeply personal and subjective concept that means different things to different people. However, without the state, we are limited in our ability to fully express ourselves, pursue our dreams, and live our lives to the fullest. By resisting racial capitalism and building alternative institutions and networks, we can work towards creating a world where freedom is truly universal.

Weight: 416g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009125024