Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is one of the most influential, insightful, and engaging scholars writing on race. His pathbreaking book, now in its sixth edition, continues to be the gold standard for understanding the dynamics of racism and developing a blueprint for what Whites and people of color must do to dismantle white supremacy and create a more ‘humane, inclusive, and democratic’ world.
Originally published in 2003, Racism without Racists, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, lives on into this sixth edition because it is still needed today. Despite landmark legislation and Supreme Court rulings, racism and race-based discrimination continue to permeate every facet of American society. The heightened visibility of this continued racism takes on new meaning when high-profile figures and politicians feed into it, such as when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump descended the escalator in Trump Tower to announce that Mexicans were a “problem” that the United States had to contain. For this reviewer, Trump’s declaration marked the beginning of a new phase of so-called color-blind racism, more pernicious than that of any other presidential campaign or administration in American history, including those of Richard Nixon [6] and Ronald Regan.[7] Ultimately, however, it is notable that racist America came alive during Barack Obama’s two terms as president. According to writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, the foundation of Donald Trump’s presidency is the negation of Barack Obama’s legacy. Although it is still unclear how far the white supremacist reaction to Barack Obama’s presidency will go, it is evident that despite the election of the first Black president, the United States still has a race problem. Bonilla-Silva’s analysis in this new edition is spot on in addressing the issue. He even includes a newly updated chapter on the very timely topic of color-blind racism and the COVID-19 pandemic, in which he provides evidence to demonstrate that Black Americans and other communities of color were disproportionately impacted by the disease because they occupied predominantly low-wage jobs on the front lines and not because of medical pre-conditions. To be sure, the United States is most certainly not a so-called post-racial society, and because of this, Bonilla-Silva’s expertise is still needed to explain the new forms of racism that emerge and to reveal how they operate. This sixth edition of Racism without Racists is a powerful update, nothing short of the excellence readers have come to expect from Bonilla-Silva and the work he produces. Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.
We hear a lot about ‘systemic racism’ these days. For anyone serious about understanding what it means and how it works, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s classic Racism without Racists is essential reading.
Since its publication in 2003, Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality, has been the main pillar of race scholarship. The 6th edition is not just a book for academics; it is a must-read for anyone who truly wants to understand race and race relations in the modern era.
This book will change how you think about race and racism in the United States. It is a must read. A deeply sophisticated yet accessible and engaging analysis of how it is we find ourselves in a society with so much racial inequality and so little 'racism.'
Students often use this book to start hard conversations with family – the updates here on systemic racism, COVID-19 and racism, and “what can be done?” will allow for an even deeper discussion to unfold. If the author’s intent was to meaningfully share a bit of his anger, love, and ways of knowing these important issues, he did it and elevated this classic text by laying richer ground for students of color and White students to make sense of the powerful narratives and analysis the text is valued for.
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is one of the most influential, insightful, and engaging scholars writing on race. His pathbreaking book, now in its sixth edition, continues to be the gold standard for understanding the dynamics of racism and developing a blueprint for what Whites and people of color must do to dismantle white supremacy and create a more ‘humane, inclusive, and democratic’ world.
Racism without Racists is the most important book I have used to teach on racism and what it looks and sounds like today. It has consistently proven to be the most significant reading I assign. Students often say it has changed their lives and that they use it in conversations beyond the classroom and see it in the everyday interactions they have and witness on various forms of media.
I love Racism without Racists. I use it in my undergraduate stratification course, and students are split on how they receive the book. Half love it, the other half hate it. Either way, it makes them think about race and racism. Whether the material in the book confirms their general viewpoint, or they spend time and effort trying to refute the book, the students are engaged with the material. I couldn’t ask for more.
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva rocked the sociological landscape with his book Racism without Racists, providing insight about U.S. race matters in contemporary times. In this new edition, Bonilla-Silva once again confronts naysayers who continue to argue that racism is a thing of the past, or who “trumpet” that what we are witnessing is a “return of the racists.” With updated and timely new material, this is a book you’ll want to pick up for your family, friends, and neighbors!
Racism Without Racists is a provocative look at the ‘new’ kinder, gentler and smiling racism. Bonilla-Silva uses research, current events, and professional ideological position to support the presence of this new racism. . . .The book is readable, and the content is accessible, theoretically sound, and research-driven. It provides content that is essential for social workers committed to social justice and advocacy. Dr. Bonilla-Silva is an original thinker and presents a theoretical framework for understanding the ‘new’ color blind racism and the potential changes for the future. As a professor with extensive experience teaching courses on diversity and racism, I would definitely recommend this book as a text to be used by professors in a course on racism or diversity. This book will challenge students to reflect on their internal processes and become anti-racist professionals. Naturally, because Dr. Bonilla-Silva is a provocateur, students will find many of his theoretical approaches uncomfortable, but it is important to challenge the existing paradigm of students and encourage personal and professional growth and development.
In the new chapter Bonilla-Silva provides a stinging critique of Obama and the very notion that the election of a black man has a positive impact on the state of racial inequality in America. This is a powerful chapter for a very powerful book.
From its beginning, America has been dogged by debilitating racism. After centuries, we are still perplexed by this seemingly incomprehensible racial crisis. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s new edition of Racism without Racists goes a long way in providing a penetrating and illuminating analysis of racism in America. Unlike most books, Racism without Racists offers valuable, eye-opening solutions to help guide America out of this vexing racial problem. Racism without Racists is a most valuable book for Americans in all walks of life.
Every white American should have the privilege to have that eureka moment: "Ah! Now I understand what being white means, in the most profound sense." The entire world looks different from then on. Racism without Racists leads white Americans to that very moment of discovery.
We expect racists to be closely associated with gun racks in pickups, shirts cut off at the shoulder, and scowls, but in fact many whites in contemporary society have learned to mask their prejudice by responding to racially-charged questions and situations in veiled language. Bonilla-Silva updates this fourth edition with more examples and further exploration of what passes as normal. He examines what he calls 'the strange enigma of race in contemporary America,' and looks at the reasons why several generations of racists have prospered. He looks into the racial structure in the United States since the 1960s, central frames of color-blind racism, how people make disparaging remarks about race without sounding racist, the subtleties of racial stories, the significance of white segregation, white racial progressiveness, black color-blindness, the future of racial stratification, the enchantment of color blindness since President Obama's election, and exposes the irrevocable certainty of white color-blindness.
From the Black Lives Matter movement to the unexpected election of Donald Trump, recent events have made undeniably clear the continuing significance of race and racism in the United States. Updated with new material, this fifth edition of Eduardo Bonilla-Silva's now-classic Racism without Racists is thus more than ever essential reading for understanding the racial realities of a country in denial about its past and present. the
Colorblind racism has been the premiere concept for understanding racial inequality in the post-civil rights era. Bonilla-Silva's brilliant analysis remains essential and even more urgent as we continue to contest new forms of white supremacy. The new edition of Racism without Racists is required reading for anyone concerned about racial justice in America.
Racism without Racists will make many readers uncomfortable, as it should. With care and a wicked sense of humor, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva explores the kind of subtle, everyday racism that some of 'our best friends' unconsciously perpetuate.
Having already established itself as a classic text on race and racism, this fifth edition refines and extends Bonilla-Silva’s understanding of color-blind racial ideology, structural inequality, and racial hierarchy to the pressing issues we currently confront. His engaging and provocative writing style makes the text accessible without ever diminishing the depth and richness of his analysis.
Each edition of Bonilla-Silva's now classic Racism without Racists has brought with it updates that underline its contemporary relevance. This fourth edition is no different: it takes a sharply critical look at Obama's reelection, and is updated wherever possible with new statistics. However, what makes this edition especially useful is an additional chapter, 'The New Racism: The U.S. Racial Structure since the 1960s.' The preface notes that this is because Racism without Racists sometimes functions as the only book on race in many college classrooms. In this new chapter, Bonilla-Silva (Texas A&M) traces the legacy of the US past into the present, exploring institutions that have helped perpetuate racial inequality and segregation in housing, education, political life, the prison system, and other areas. The author also provides a survey of various forms of contemporary economic inequality, social segmentation, and control. While no single book is likely to include enough relevant material about race, Bonilla-Silva's attempt comes very close. Displaying the author's trademark sense of humor and unflinching critique of the ideology and discourse that continue to fuel racial inequality today, this edition will be satisfying to newcomers as well to those who have already used this book for years. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.
Each edition of Bonilla-Silva's now classic Racism without Racists has brought with it updates that underline its contemporary relevance. This fourth edition is no different: it takes a sharply critical look at Obama's reelection, and is updated wherever possible with new statistics. However, what makes this edition especially useful is an additional chapter, 'The New Racism: The U.S. Racial Structure since the 1960s.' The preface notes that this is because Racism without Racists sometimes functions as the only book on race in many college classrooms. In this new chapter, Bonilla-Silva (Texas A&M) traces the legacy of the US past into the present, exploring institutions that have helped perpetuate racial inequality and segregation in housing, education, political life, the prison system, and other areas. The author also provides a survey of various forms of contemporary economic inequality, social segmentation, and control. While no single book is likely to include enough relevant material about race, Bonilla-Silva's attempt comes very close. Displaying the author's trademark sense of humor and unflinching critique of the ideology and discourse that continue to fuel racial inequality today, this edition will be satisfying to newcomers as well to those who have already used this book for years. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.
