Dismantling Racism: The Continuing Challenge to White America

by Joseph Barndt

Racism has reemerged, dramatically and forcefully. All of us -- people of color and white people alike -- are damaged by its debilitating effects. In this book, the author addresses the "majority," the white race in the United States. Racism permeates the individual attitudes and behavior of white people, but even more seriously, it permeates public systems, institutions, and culture. This book does not intend to attack or to produce guilt, but its message is tough and demanding. It begins by analyzing racism as it is today and the ways it has changed or not changed over the past few decades. Most important, the book focuses on the task of dismantling racism, how we can work to bring it to an end and build a racially just, multiracial, and multicultural society. Churches are not strangers to the task of combating racism, but so much of what we have done is too little, too late. We have yet to make a serious impact in the racism that surrounds us and is within us. This book calls us to begin our next assault on the demonic evil of racism. The result that it seeks is freedom for all races, all people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Sociology, Social Justice, Religion, Anti Racist

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[L Y N N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to keep reminding myself that this is 2024 and this book was released in 1991, seemingly an eon ago!

Eliminating the portions of this book regarding organized religion would push it up at least one more star in my rating. If you think you're going to convince WHITE "Christians" to actually integrate their private church territories, I believe you are living in a dream world. My own spirituality involves just the day-to-day world. I don't need to believe in any otherworldly "being" to be a 'good person'. Just give me life and I'll do my best to be the best person I can be. I do not believe some being controls everything, thereby making me and only me responsible for...me! 😋 (My mother used to like to deflect self-responsibility all the time and so well, citing "God" as responsible for everything... You know..."God's plan." Ugh.)

But, beyond the religion thing, yes, our whole society/culture is racist in its foundations. That must change and it would be wonderful if we white folks would decide to do the "right thing" and do it now before being forced to do so once we are no longer the majority population here in the U.S.! However, given the fact we've managed to kill our natural world without ever taking comprehensive political proactive steps to save our environment, who knows if we'll ever be smart enough to just accept, respect, and appreciate other humans regardless of skin color, religious beliefs, etc. If only... I do believe there is a collective majority among us common folk who would get along and cooperate, but politicians and those in power and control seem unable to do so. Because, you know, war is so wonderful for everyone...as is hatred...and prejudice...and oppression...and discrimination.. Ugh.

[Debra Waites · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an “old” book, having been written in 1991. Today is May 30, 2020 and George Floyd was murdered earlier this week by a white Minneapolis cop. We have had lot of opportunities and time since this book was written to change systemic racism and have squandered nearly all of them. This book is written to white people. It is excellent and the mirror it holds up to my white race is clear and accurate albeit not pretty. White people make up the majority of our population and what time is seemingly showing is that white people don’t want to change. There are more people who want to remain racist with all that entails than those who want to see justice, acceptance and equity prevail.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upfront and honest. A must-read for Whites.

[Cathy]

Thandeka critiques Barndt's "belief that all whites are racist is based explicitly on the Christian doctrine of original sin", and that "whites will always remain sinners because their nature is corrupted." Her critique is that UUs don't share this theology, but we apply it to much of our anti-racism work. I'm intrigued!

[Karlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly the quote of the year:

"Brick by brick, stone by stone, the prison of individual, institutional, and cultural racism can be destroyed."

-Joseph Barndt pg. 156

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

opened my eyes to the fact that racism is not dead yet - still a serious problem we must deal with