The obfuscation game — Petrônio Domingues’s (UFS) review of “Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América”, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva | Image DukeScholars
Abstract: In Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva explores the concept of ‘color-blind racism’ in the U.S., an ideology that rationalizes racial inequalities without acknowledging structural racism. He critiques the stance of white individuals who deny responsibility for racial disparities. The work is lauded for its originality and theoretical rigor, though it faces criticism for its proselytizing tone in the conclusion, where it advocates for anti-racist actions.
Keywords: racism, racists, and structural racism.
The United States, historically marked by racial inequalities across various sectors such as education, housing, employment, health, media, and political representation, presents a paradox. Despite the majority of white individuals claiming race is no longer a factor, racial inequality persists. A critical question arises: How do white individuals reconcile their proclaimed color blindness with the evident racial disparities in America? In Racismo sem racistas, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva addresses these questions.
Bonilla-Silva, born in Puerto Rico, is a sociologist and professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He has been recognized with awards such as the Lewis A. Coser Award for sociologists who redefine the field. Racismo sem racistas, published in 2006 in the U.S. and nominated as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, was translated into Portuguese and released in Brazil in 2020. It aims to dissect the emerging racial ideology of ‘color-blind racism’ in the United States.
This ideology, prominent since the late 1960s, interprets racial inequality as a result of non-racial dynamics, contrasting with the overtly racist Jim Crow era rationale that attributed the social positioning of black individuals to their supposed biological and moral inferiority. ‘Color-blind racism’ offers sophisticated explanations for racial inequality that absolve white individuals from any culpability in the subjugation and disadvantage of people of color.
Bonilla-Silva asserts that ‘color-blind racism’ has become the prevailing racial ideology, characterized by subtle, institutional, and ostensibly non-racial practices. Unlike the Jim Crow era’s explicit segregation, today’s racial practices are so covert that they defy simple racial categorization, ensuring the maintenance of white privilege in various domains like banking, dining, education, and real estate.
He contrasts ‘color-blind racism’ with the blatant racism of the Jim Crow era, noting the former’s subtlety in maintaining white privilege without overt discrimination. This ideology allows white individuals to assert positions that protect their racial interests without appearing racist, enabling them to express resentment towards minorities, criticize their morals, values, and work ethic, and even claim victimhood from ‘reverse racism.’
Bonilla-Silva structures the book into ten chapters, starting with the emergence of ‘color-blind racism’ as a new racial ideology in the late 1960s, aligning with America’s ‘new racism.’ He delves into how this ‘new racism’ surfaced, its main practices, and its mechanisms in societal, economic, political, and social control spheres. These practices and mechanisms for perpetuating racial privilege have evolved into elusive and seemingly deracialized forms, giving rise to rationalizations that justify the new racial order.
The book discusses the stylistic elements of ‘color-blind racism,’ including the narratives and personal stories that emerged post-civil rights movement, providing an emotional basis for the ideology. Bonilla-Silva analyzes white individuals’ patterns of interracial interactions, revealing a tendency towards a ‘white habitus’—networks and associations that reinforce racial order by promoting racial solidarity among whites and fostering negative emotions towards racial ‘others.’
Focusing on ‘race traitors,’ or white individuals who reject the ideology of color blindness, and its impact on progressive whites and black individuals, Bonilla-Silva examines the indirect effects of ‘color-blind racism’ on people of color, despite their development of an oppositional ideology. He challenges the notion of a biracial divide in the U.S., proposing a transition towards a triracial or ‘plural’ order, similar to many Latin American and Caribbean nations. The book concludes with an analysis of Barack Obama’s presidency, arguing it exemplifies the ‘color-blind’ scenario rather than signifying post-racialism.
Despite its strengths, the book’s conclusion adopts a proselytizing tone, prescribing actions for white individuals to combat ‘color-blind racism.’ Bonilla-Silva, known for linking his academic work to social activism, suggests engagement in anti-racist organizations and movements as essential for societal change.
The work stands out for its innovative approach, theoretical-methodological rigor, and the bold assertion that racism evolves with societal changes, leading to a ‘new racism’ founded on ‘color-blindness.’ This ‘new racism’ employs liberal language to deny racism’s significance, attributing racial inequalities to market dynamics or cultural limitations attributed to black individuals.
Fernando Dias: The black man who became the first case of racism in Brazil | Image: Mauro Pimentel/El País
Racismo sem racistas does not simplify the racial issue, presenting its complexities and challenging readers to recognize the structural and institutional dimensions of racism. The book’s transnational impact, including its influence on Brazilian intellectuals like Silvio Almeida, highlights its relevance for understanding racism in Latin America, particularly Brazil.
Ultimately, ‘Racism Without Racists’ achieves its objectives, emphasizing the fight against the political and economic system perpetuating racism. It is recommended for anyone interested in the contemporary forms and manifestations of racism in society.”
Summary of Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América
Prefácio
1. O estranho enigma da raça na América contemporânea
2. O novo racismo
3. Os enquadramentos centrais do racismo da cegueira de cor
4. O estilo da cegueira de cor
5. “Não consegui aquele emprego por causa de um homem negro”
6. Espreitando a Casa (Branca) da cegueira de cor
7. Todos os brancos são Archie Bunkers refinados?
8. Negros também são cegos à cor?
9. E Pluribus Unum ou o mesmo perfume antigo em um novo frasco?
BONILLA-SILVA, Eduardo. Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América. translation: Margarida Goldsztajn. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2020. 512p. Review by: DOMINGUES, Petrônio. The obfuscation game. Crítica Historiográfica. Natal, v.4, n.15, jan./feb., 2024. Available at <https://www.criticahistoriografica.com.br/en/the-obfuscation-game-petronio-dominguess-ufs-review-of-racismo-sem-racistas-o-racismo-da-cegueira-de-cor-e-a-persistencia-da-desigualdade-na-america-by-eduardo-b-2/>.
The obfuscation game — Petrônio Domingues’s (UFS) review of “Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América”, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
20 January 2024
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva | Image DukeScholars
Abstract: In Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva explores the concept of ‘color-blind racism’ in the U.S., an ideology that rationalizes racial inequalities without acknowledging structural racism. He critiques the stance of white individuals who deny responsibility for racial disparities. The work is lauded for its originality and theoretical rigor, though it faces criticism for its proselytizing tone in the conclusion, where it advocates for anti-racist actions.
Keywords: racism, racists, and structural racism.
The United States, historically marked by racial inequalities across various sectors such as education, housing, employment, health, media, and political representation, presents a paradox. Despite the majority of white individuals claiming race is no longer a factor, racial inequality persists. A critical question arises: How do white individuals reconcile their proclaimed color blindness with the evident racial disparities in America? In Racismo sem racistas, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva addresses these questions.
Bonilla-Silva, born in Puerto Rico, is a sociologist and professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He has been recognized with awards such as the Lewis A. Coser Award for sociologists who redefine the field. Racismo sem racistas, published in 2006 in the U.S. and nominated as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, was translated into Portuguese and released in Brazil in 2020. It aims to dissect the emerging racial ideology of ‘color-blind racism’ in the United States.
This ideology, prominent since the late 1960s, interprets racial inequality as a result of non-racial dynamics, contrasting with the overtly racist Jim Crow era rationale that attributed the social positioning of black individuals to their supposed biological and moral inferiority. ‘Color-blind racism’ offers sophisticated explanations for racial inequality that absolve white individuals from any culpability in the subjugation and disadvantage of people of color.
Bonilla-Silva asserts that ‘color-blind racism’ has become the prevailing racial ideology, characterized by subtle, institutional, and ostensibly non-racial practices. Unlike the Jim Crow era’s explicit segregation, today’s racial practices are so covert that they defy simple racial categorization, ensuring the maintenance of white privilege in various domains like banking, dining, education, and real estate.
He contrasts ‘color-blind racism’ with the blatant racism of the Jim Crow era, noting the former’s subtlety in maintaining white privilege without overt discrimination. This ideology allows white individuals to assert positions that protect their racial interests without appearing racist, enabling them to express resentment towards minorities, criticize their morals, values, and work ethic, and even claim victimhood from ‘reverse racism.’
Bonilla-Silva structures the book into ten chapters, starting with the emergence of ‘color-blind racism’ as a new racial ideology in the late 1960s, aligning with America’s ‘new racism.’ He delves into how this ‘new racism’ surfaced, its main practices, and its mechanisms in societal, economic, political, and social control spheres. These practices and mechanisms for perpetuating racial privilege have evolved into elusive and seemingly deracialized forms, giving rise to rationalizations that justify the new racial order.
The book discusses the stylistic elements of ‘color-blind racism,’ including the narratives and personal stories that emerged post-civil rights movement, providing an emotional basis for the ideology. Bonilla-Silva analyzes white individuals’ patterns of interracial interactions, revealing a tendency towards a ‘white habitus’—networks and associations that reinforce racial order by promoting racial solidarity among whites and fostering negative emotions towards racial ‘others.’
Focusing on ‘race traitors,’ or white individuals who reject the ideology of color blindness, and its impact on progressive whites and black individuals, Bonilla-Silva examines the indirect effects of ‘color-blind racism’ on people of color, despite their development of an oppositional ideology. He challenges the notion of a biracial divide in the U.S., proposing a transition towards a triracial or ‘plural’ order, similar to many Latin American and Caribbean nations. The book concludes with an analysis of Barack Obama’s presidency, arguing it exemplifies the ‘color-blind’ scenario rather than signifying post-racialism.
Despite its strengths, the book’s conclusion adopts a proselytizing tone, prescribing actions for white individuals to combat ‘color-blind racism.’ Bonilla-Silva, known for linking his academic work to social activism, suggests engagement in anti-racist organizations and movements as essential for societal change.
The work stands out for its innovative approach, theoretical-methodological rigor, and the bold assertion that racism evolves with societal changes, leading to a ‘new racism’ founded on ‘color-blindness.’ This ‘new racism’ employs liberal language to deny racism’s significance, attributing racial inequalities to market dynamics or cultural limitations attributed to black individuals.
Fernando Dias: The black man who became the first case of racism in Brazil | Image: Mauro Pimentel/El País
Racismo sem racistas does not simplify the racial issue, presenting its complexities and challenging readers to recognize the structural and institutional dimensions of racism. The book’s transnational impact, including its influence on Brazilian intellectuals like Silvio Almeida, highlights its relevance for understanding racism in Latin America, particularly Brazil.
Ultimately, ‘Racism Without Racists’ achieves its objectives, emphasizing the fight against the political and economic system perpetuating racism. It is recommended for anyone interested in the contemporary forms and manifestations of racism in society.”
Summary of Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América
Prefácio
1. O estranho enigma da raça na América contemporânea
2. O novo racismo
3. Os enquadramentos centrais do racismo da cegueira de cor
4. O estilo da cegueira de cor
5. “Não consegui aquele emprego por causa de um homem negro”
6. Espreitando a Casa (Branca) da cegueira de cor
7. Todos os brancos são Archie Bunkers refinados?
8. Negros também são cegos à cor?
9. E Pluribus Unum ou o mesmo perfume antigo em um novo frasco?
BONILLA-SILVA, Eduardo. Racismo sem racistas: o racismo da cegueira de cor e a persistência da desigualdade na América. translation: Margarida Goldsztajn. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2020. 512p. Review by: DOMINGUES, Petrônio. The obfuscation game. Crítica Historiográfica. Natal, v.4, n.15, jan./feb., 2024. Available at <https://www.criticahistoriografica.com.br/en/the-obfuscation-game-petronio-dominguess-ufs-review-of-racismo-sem-racistas-o-racismo-da-cegueira-de-cor-e-a-persistencia-da-desigualdade-na-america-by-eduardo-b-2/>.
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Bonilla-Silva, born in Puerto Rico, is a sociologist and professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He has been recognized with awards such as the Lewis A. Coser Award for sociologists who redefine the field. Racismo sem racistas, published in 2006 in the U.S. and nominated as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, was translated into Portuguese and released in Brazil in 2020. It aims to dissect the emerging racial ideology of ‘color-blind racism’ in the United States.
Petrônio Domingues has a PhD in História (USP); Professor at the Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS); CNPq Research Productivity Fellow and Coordinator of the Grupo de Pesquisa Pós-Abolição no Mundo Atlântico. Organizer and author of some books, such as Protagonismo negro em São Paulo (nominated as a finalist for the Prêmio Jabuti) e Diásporas imaginadas (in partnership with Kim D. Butler). ID LATTES: http://lattes.cnpq.br/6212236670265547; ID ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0116-5064; Redes sociais: @petronio.domingues; E-mail: pjdomingues@yahoo.com.br.
