Arun Kundnani, an expert in racial politics and author, discusses liberal anti-racism versus radical anti-racism and critiques the efforts made to address systemic racism. The podcast explores the origins of anti-racism, the role of racial capitalism, and the need to dismantle barriers to wealth redistribution. It also delves into the level of repression faced by activists supporting Palestine and the alignment of liberal institutions with the far right.
Liberal anti-racism focuses on changing individual attitudes but neglects the systemic nature of racism within capitalist societies.
Racial capitalism demonstrates how racial divisions enable profit-making by exploiting and segregating the black working class.
Deep dives
The Legacy of Liberal Anti-Racism
Liberal anti-racism emerged in the 1930s as a response to rising racial prejudices and extremism. It focused on changing individual attitudes and biases through education and persuasion. However, this approach neglects the systemic and structural nature of racism embedded within capitalist societies. To truly address racism, collective action and organization are necessary, as power dynamics and social structures must be challenged. Transforming racism requires a long-term, disciplined struggle against a system that perpetuates racial inequality.
Understanding Racial Capitalism
Racial capitalism refers to the intertwining of racism and capitalism. It emerged as a concept in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and highlights the exploitation and segregation of the black working class. Racial capitalism demonstrates how racial divisions enable greater profit-making by paying black workers lower wages and restricting their access to social benefits. Understanding racial capitalism helps illuminate how borders, immigration policies, and global financial systems reinforce racial hierarchies and exploit marginalized communities.
Neoliberalism's Contradictions and Racism
Neoliberalism, with its focus on individual competition and profit-making, both reproduces and attempts to co-opt diversity and inclusion initiatives. However, this celebration of diversity does not challenge the underlying structures of racism. Neoliberalism seeks to reshape non-Western cultures to align with its individualistic values, leading to exclusionary immigration policies and the violence of the War on Terror. Critically examining neoliberalism's contradictions and their impact on anti-racism movements helps reveal its exploitative and oppressive nature.
Transforming Systemic Racism
To effectively confront and transform systemic racism, a shift towards a radical anti-racist tradition is necessary. Collective action through organization and solidarity is key, as it allows for a more comprehensive and sustained challenge to power structures. Recognizing that individual pain and identity are interconnected with broader struggles helps overcome the self-isolation perpetuated by neoliberal individualism. By building and working together, we can challenge racial capitalism and envision a future centered on racial equity and justice.
Following the mass George Floyd demonstrations, it appeared as if a racial reckoning was taking place in the United States, although of a puzzling nature. Amazon, Walmart, and other prominent corporations declared that Black Lives Mattered and dedicated funds to ostensibly address systemic racism. In cities across America, individuals denounced white silence and took on the task of scrutinizing interpersonal relationships for implicit racism. Arun Kundnani argues that such efforts are part of a tradition of liberal anti-racism, which he contrasts with the lineage of radical anti-racism forged against colonialism and capitalism.