Introduction
The race is a perennial subject of controversy in the United States. With the advent of technology amidst education, the Race is still racing for its abolition but is still prevalent with the few who are harnessing the thoughts of keeping the concept of racism afresh. The race is much talked about, though, and discussed more to keep alive the thoughts of discrimination and pain along with it. Race as a word has nothing to do with the minority. In this God’s country where great scientific innovations are taking place, Race is a minuscule perception of few exploding out of proportion to keep imbalance in Society.
Analysis
Role of choice and/or lack of choice due to any prejudice and discrimination in the persistence of racism.
Racism is actually a disease spread like a wildfire to all parts of the world since the human Race started evolving. With the advent of civilization, complexities increased, and “plural” racial order was a mimic for Latin Americans regarding racial stratification, for, e.g., the existence of multiple racial strata (Page xvii). With this, the gap between the differences with respect to each individual increased, leading to complexes among themselves. Color became the utmost factor, among other things, for choosing the identification of human beings.
The persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States is so important for understanding the new form that racism has taken, “colorblind racism,” as Eduardo Bonilla-Silva puts it. The persistence of racism is evident with whites claiming not to be racist, wherein clarification is not at all needed.
Whites cracking racist jokes, not accepting a mixture of races in some universities like dating, sharing of accommodation, etc. (still prevalent even today) shows how it has penetrated into human minds.
Racism is prevalent much because of the lack of created choices in perishing it. It is being reminded in the job sector, accommodation, attitude which instigates and allows racism to cherish. It is few who are trying to pose the threats bringing to mankind for living. But, unfortunately, colorblind racism is percolated, leading to segregating people to do lower runk jobs just for the heck of it where the dignity of labor is supposed to be practiced.
Hence the choices are bleak for conquering racism which is not intended to be done. The author has tried to throw light on the issues related to the white-based world. Racial is an ideology that is challenging to reduce inequality in the United States.
Evaluation
Dr. Bonilla-Silva has taken pains to get the data for this from a survey of 627 college students and 400 adults from the Detroit area. It has produced great insights into the issue of racism being prolonged to date. The new concept of Colorblind Racism has been dealt with in a detailed disposition makes this book a must-read. Extensive description of racism in this era with social background and with features involving whites and blacks relation to the past history of slavery and the newer version of racial ideology supporting the human rights of white in the age of color blindness.
This being the book written with perspective from the white point as a minority has strong arguments regarding “race” and “ethnicity,” which are entirely different concepts. Also, Race being a socially defined inconsistent varying across nations and societies, and with time, the social importance of a race as the factor in American (any other) Society cannot be neglected.
The analysis of racial language is so common among whites in the Post-Civil Rights era in a simple language makes it interesting. Whites being posing themselves as “I’m not a racist, but…..”? or “I’m not prejudiced, but….”? Phrases used as buffer elucidates the hostile, bigoted, racist, and prejudiced statements about colored people, which is being used all the time. This includes white teachers in high schools using biased statements in the class. This is a clear indication of racism being present against racists.
To give more examples, Bonilla-Silva analyzes the trend of “people of color” being “unqualified” and “whites” being “qualified. Non-white person occupying an authority position or power comes under the notion of being carried away. The white females who come under middle classes benefit due to the positive action since the beginning more than any other group in American Society is a satire in itself. But the white women whining about the freedom of getting the profit at the cost of white males are not heard of.
The Civil Rights legacy has been thrashed outrightly by declaring racist sentiments as taboo and socially unacceptable. This making person is boldly declaring that “they are not racist” and whiteness as a social disadvantage. Also white U.S-born citizens have become an “Oppressed majority” (Rush Limbaugh’s terms. This is a bold step taken by Bonilla-Silva, which has frenzied sociologists to take note of.
The icing of the cake is giving tips in the last chapter, “What is to be Done(For Real). He takes a bold step in asking whites to fight against racism by joining social movements against racism and should take as an urgent task (Page 229). He continues to become “race traitors” as whites are willing to tell the world the disadvantages of minority groups. The thought itself shows the genuine feeling for the abolition of racism. He gives few examples of the racism thriving in a subtle manner which are not leaked out to the public. Whites taking the plunge will surely see a seachange in the behavior and the practices followed by many whites. But he doubts of this having impact on colorblind racism which is being operated as per the standards of proper racial discourse.
The school children suffered from white teachers the nasty remarks due to racism. Even the universities surprising not allowing mixing up of whites with non-whites and not allowing them to date, stay together in accommodation etc. are only a few examples of the prevalence of racism. Racism has spread further in Legal Justice and Criminal Justice wherein colorblind suspects being harsh with the justice and labelled guilty, laughed at and giving harsh judgements on them. The colorblind treating the peers in schools in a decent way, universities allowing students of different race mixing and legal system and criminal justice are equally judging according to humanitarian considerations are still at large.
The data taken by interview has demonstrated that colorblind racism is the same and central point with old and young whites. (Page 210). The middle-class who are leaders of the struggled past are the minority group in this country.(Page 232). The need for adequate and decent school, jobs, social services, medical care, accommodation, and transport, which are the basic amenities are the major issues to be taken care of while giving equal opportunity.
Conclusion
Racism is of a social structure organized around the logic of racial superiority. The author has done well research to establish the fact of colorblind racism’s existence and also extended how to resolve the problem by fighting by white leading the war on racism along with blacks. The research shows the genuinity of the author in evoking the sincere thought for upliftment of the Society for a racial change to America with a beautiful call from good heart for a revolution because, Gil Scott-heron states in his song,” the Revolution will not be televised”. (Page 237). Hence this is the strong book for authentic abolition campaign against racism with colorblind people.
References
Eduardo-Bonilla Silva (2003) “Racism without Racists: Colorblind Racism and the Persistence of Racial inequality in the United States”, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.