Race The Power of an Illusion; Capitalism and the "New Racial Order"

The title, “Race the Power of an Illusion” if fitting. In Part One of the documentary, Scientific Racism is discussed. While the concept of race and the dominating white/black binary had existed since the 17^th century, scientific racism, which emerged in the 19^th century, was the first attempt to justify racial inequality. Over a century worth of scientific testing was done in attempt to justify black people as “inferior” to white people. At almost every turn results were fabricated to meet the goals of white anthropologists, to prove scientifically European superiority (Golash-Boza 2016). While today scientific notions of racial superiority are dismissed, the documentary highlights that people still believe that people of the same race have more in common than people across races. Through lab tests of DNA, the documentary shatters that belief. In fact, people can even have more DNA in common across racial lines than people of the same race. Therefore, we must draw the boundary and understand race as nothing scientific, but sociological; an illusion.

What might be helpful in understanding Race as a sociological concept, is understanding the connections between Racism and Capitalism. One cannot function without the other. Capitalism and, specifically Neoliberal politics, that strengthen privatization, and place emphasis on individualism, are the petri dishes for Racism. Here is a video that breaks down the historical connection; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmyWvjszBOw. While historically, capitalism’s use of Racism was blunt, use black labor to create white capital, ie) slavery, sharecropping, Jim Crow. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva claims that we are currently living in a “new racial order” (Bonilla-Silva 2011). This new "racial order" is dominated by “color-bind” racism; or the notion that racial inequalities are not racially fueled but rather stem from cultural limitations. Racial Hegemony and the forced coercion of the public dominates this new "racial order". This sociological concept which Bonilla-Silva refers to as “abstract liberalism” uses direct capitalist Neoliberal practices to justify racial inequality; “Racial Neoliberalism” (Tompkins 2015). It highlights de juro equal opportunity and puts blame on individuals for making “bad choices” and disregards all structural practices.

As a white person I am part of the “Color Blind” community. Through “color blindness” or the belief that we live in a post-racial America that we don’t listen to the voices and experiences of people of color telling us differently. Recently, Peter King, U.S Representative for New York’s 2^nd Congressional District, referred to Colin Kaepernick as protesting an issue that is, “totally phony” (http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/peter-king-colin-kaepernick-disgrace-phony/2016/09/02/id/746488/). He goes on to argue that the act of protest "does nothing to the debate… It does nothing to attempt to bring races together.” Colorblind Racism allows us to remain comfortable. If we denounce any conversation about race, so that we don't have to deal with the fact that we grossly benefit from the color of our skin. We can believe that we are where we are because of the hard work that we put in. Therefore we don't have any responsibility in fixing the issue.  We are taught to believe that if people just stopped talking about race, racial inequalities will go away, and that if people just attempted to succeed in a merit based system, than people who deserved to be successful would be. This is color blind racism, and Capitalism needs it. 

Work Cited

·      Bonilla-Silva, E., and D. Dietrich. "The Sweet Enchantment of Color-Blind Racism in Obamerica." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 634.1 (2011): 190-206. Web.

·      Golash-Boza, Tanya Maria. Race & Racisms: A Critical Approach. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

·      Tompkins, J. ""A Postgame Interview for the Ages": Richard Sherman and the Dialectical Rhetoric of Racial Neoliberalism." Journal of Sport & Social Issues 40.4 (2015): 291-314. Web.