Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-Blind Society

In an updated edition of this classic work, a team of respected scholars examines the resilience of racial inequality in twenty-first-century America, arguing that discrimination persists in various aspects of life and is exacerbated by failures to address past disinvestment. The book highlights the impact of police violence, mass incarceration, employment and housing discrimination, economic deprivation, and health care inequities on Black communities, and emphasizes the need for active efforts to combat structural racism and its legacies for true racial justice.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 398 pages
Publication date: 03 January 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

In a groundbreaking new edition of this seminal work, a team of esteemed sociologists, political scientists, economists, criminologists, and legal scholars delve into the enduring resilience of racial inequality in twenty-first-century America.

Whitewashing Race presents a compelling argument that contemporary racism manifests in various forms across American society, perpetuated by the failure to address the cumulative impacts of generations of disinvestment. This pervasive discrimination encompasses areas such as police violence, the disproportionate mass incarceration of Black individuals, employment and housing discrimination, economic deprivation, and glaring disparities in healthcare. These factors work in tandem to deeply embed racial inequality into the fabric of American society and economy.

To provide a comprehensive analysis, this updated edition incorporates the most recent evidence, including contemporary research on the racially disparate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It sheds light on the lasting legacy of disaccumulation for Black communities and individuals, highlighting the urgent need for action to achieve genuine racial justice. While some progress has been made, the authors assert that true racial equality can only be realized through a proactive and concerted effort to dismantle pervasive structural racism and its enduring legacies.

This thought-provoking book serves as a powerful call to action, urging readers to recognize the pervasiveness of racial inequality and to actively engage in the fight against it. By acknowledging the historical roots and ongoing consequences of structural racism, we can work towards creating a more equitable and just society for all.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520385863
Edition number: Revised ed