11. Arun Kundnani: Is Capitalism to Blame for Racism?

In this conversation, Arun Kundnani discusses the inseparable relationship between racism and capitalism. He distinguishes between liberal and radical anti-racist traditions and argues that addressing systemic racism requires understanding how capitalist societies depend on racial divisions.

Discussion points:

• There are two anti-racist traditions: liberal and radical, with liberal anti-racism focusing on individual prejudices and biases, while radical anti-racism sees racism as a social structure.
• Racism is embedded in capitalist societies, where resources are distributed unequally based on race, leading to disparities within and between countries.
• Border policies, mass incarceration, and aggressive policing serve the interests of capitalism, maintaining racial divisions of labour and managing surplus populations.
• To combat racism effectively, a shift towards understanding and dismantling the structural racism within capitalist systems is crucial.
• Liberal approaches that address individual biases have limitations in addressing systemic racism.

Let us know what you thought about the conversation.

You can also watch the conversation in full.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsyWNxTEIlA