Ibram X. Kendi wants to redefine racism

Oct 7, 2019

Ibram X. Kendi, a leading voice in African-American studies and author of influential works like *How to Be an Antiracist*, redefines racism as support for policies that deepen racial inequality. He reveals his own past biases and discusses the importance of moving beyond mere non-racism to active anti-racism. The conversation dives into the historical roots of systemic inequities, the emotional implications of the term 'racist,' and the nuanced challenges of racial integration and policy effectiveness, all while emphasizing the necessity of a proactive approach to dismantling prejudice.

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ANECDOTE

Kendi's High School Speech

As a high schooler, Ibram X. Kendi gave a speech condemning Black youth for issues like teen pregnancy and low educational attainment.
He now recognizes this speech as promoting racist ideas.

INSIGHT

Racist Ideas Justify Outcomes

Racist ideas arise to justify pre-existing racist policies and outcomes, not the other way around.
Inequality exists, and then ideologies are created to explain it as a just outcome.

INSIGHT

Difference vs. Inequity

There are racialized ethnic differences, but these differences don't justify racial inequality.
There's no evidence that cultural or ethnic differences explain inequities.

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Racism is one of the most morally charged words in the English language. It is typically understood as a form of deep inner prejudice — something that people actively feel and consciously express. My guest today, Ibram X. Kendi, wants to redefine racism. He defines the idea simply: support for policies that widen racial inequality.

Kendi is a professor of African-American Studies and director of the Antiracist Policy Center at American University. His National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning argued that racist policies beget racist ideas, not the other way around. His new book, How to Be an Antiracist, is a continuation of that project. It focuses on racism as a structural ecosystem that black people face, not a prejudice that white people feel.

The implications of this redefinition are far-reaching. Are you a racist if you loathe people who aren’t of your race but don’t want to pass policy on it? Are you a racist if you tried to narrow racial inequality but your program backfired?

In this conversation, we map the boundaries of Kendi’s definition and its implications. We discuss his admission that he “used to be racist most of the time,” his argument against racial integration, whether it’s giving too much power to policy to blame it for all racial inequality, whether the word “racist” is too charged for the more nuanced conversations we need to have, the meta-philosophy behind African-American studies, and much more.

Book recommendations:

Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley)

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois

Fatal Invention by Dorothy Roberts

Want to contact the show? Reach out at ezrakleinshow@vox.com

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