"I'm Not a Racist, But...": The Moral Quandary of Race

by Lawrence A. Blum

Not all racial incidents are racist incidents, Lawrence Blum says. "We need a more varied and nuanced moral vocabulary for talking about the arena of race. We should not be faced with a choice of 'racism' or nothing." Use of the word "racism" is pervasive: An article about the NAACP's criticism of television networks for casting too few "minority" actors in lead roles asks, "Is television a racist institution?" A white girl in Virginia says it is racist for her African-American teacher to wear African attire. Blum argues that a growing tendency to castigate as "racism" everything that goes wrong in the racial domain reduces the term's power to evoke moral outrage. In "I'm Not a Racist, But..." , Blum develops a historically grounded account of "racism" as the deeply morally charged notion it has become. He addresses the question whether people of color can be racist, defines types of racism, and identifies debased and inappropriate usages of the term. Though racial insensitivity, racial anxiety, racial ignorance and racial injustice are, in his view, not "racism," they are racial ills that should elicit moral concern. Blum argues that "race" itself, even when not serving distinct racial malfeasance, is a morally destructive idea, implying moral distance and unequal worth. History and genetic science reveal both the avoidability and the falsity of the idea of race. Blum argues that we can give up the idea of race, but must recognize that racial groups' historical and social experience has been shaped by having been treated as if they were races.

Genres: Philosophy, Race, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2001

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really useful book in thinking about the history and complexity of race and racism, including possibilities for moving to a more equitable society that acknowledges racialized groups and desires to promote harmony and equality.

I appreciate the level of nuance discussed on the issue that is so lacking in today's popular discourse on anything involving race.

It's not a quick read, as it is densely packed with well researched information and well reasoned arguments. Highly recommend spending the time and energy to read and consider the ideas put forth.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like he covered more ground than I thought was involved. Definitely a thought provoking concept to think of what society would become without race. As much as we are all human, I'm sure class would be the next categorical concept to create even more prejudice and discrimination than already present.