The Gratifications of Whiteness: W. E. B. Du Bois and the Enduring Rewards of Anti-Blackness

W. E. B. Du Bois' conceptualization of American whiteness is explored in Ella Myers' book, "The Color of Whiteness: How White People Profit from Racial Inequality." She argues that Du Bois' analysis offers insight into 21st-century struggles for racial justice and that anti-Blackness continues to underwrite plural forms of white gratification.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The first comprehensive exploration of W. E. B. Du Bois' conceptualization of American whiteness, this book delves into the intricate and multifaceted nature of the concept. Du Bois famously contended that whiteness in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries served as a public and psychological wage, providing valuable social status to even the most impoverished whites. This compensation, reliant on the devaluation of Black existence, played a crucial role in securing the US capitalist regime and preventing interracial class solidarity. However, this book argues that Du Bois' influential account of compensatory whiteness is incomplete. For Du Bois, whiteness was not a singular entity but rather a complex amalgamation of various aspects.

In her exploration of Du Bois' middle-period work (approximately 1920-1940), Ella Myers uncovers an overlooked and intricate analysis that theorizes whiteness as a source of diverse gratifications. These gratifications encompass not only the material benefits of racial capitalism but also the pleasure derived from gratuitously inflicting Black suffering and the belief that the planet rightfully belongs to those identified as white. Through this lens, Myers demonstrates how Du Bois' analysis, developed in response to the pressing political challenges of his time, offers valuable insights into contemporary struggles for racial justice.

One of the key insights of the book is the extent to which anti-Blackness continues to underwrite plural and deeply disturbing forms of white gratification in the present day. Myers argues that recognizing this reality is essential in understanding the persistence of America's unequal racial order and the need for innovative and multifaceted strategies of resistance to challenge and dismantle it. By examining the complex interplay between whiteness, anti-Blackness, and social inequality, this book provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue about race and social justice.

Weight: 372g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197556771