"Color-Blind" Racism

by Leslie G. Carr

Many of the vestiges of the Civil Rights movement in the United States, including initiatives such as affirmative action, are increasingly under attack by those who assert that the Constitution is explicitly 'colorblind'.

In this provocative and timely book, Leslie G Carr suggests that the Constitution can be read as racist and that the concept of colorblindness is in fact the latest in a series of racist ideologies that have been part of the fabric of the United States.

Genres: Sociology, Race

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 1997

Reviews

[Dawn Hukai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This history of racism in the U.S. from a Marxist perspective is still relevant today as the conversation continues about what is truly meant by equality.

[Ramkumar Sridharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a very thoughtful analysis of how racism has worked in the US in the recent past AFTER racism was legally abolished. Discusses how a "color-blind" constitution and legal system doesn't really help when you have vast systemic inequalities based on race in reality. It amounts to simply closing your eyes and pretending the discrimination doesn't exist. It talks about why affirmative action is necessary and what its limitations are. This book gave me an interesting lens with which to view India's policy of reservation for scheduled castes and backward classes. All in all, a worthwhile reading. I learned a lot.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every American should be forced to read. Too bad there's not a six-star rating. The book is a Marxist critique of American race relations of the past 400 years. If you really want to understand what going on in America today, it's essential that you understand the fundamentally racist nature of this country from day one. I couldn't recommend this book highly enough.