Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s acclaimed Racism without Racists examines in detail how Whites talk, think, and account for the existence of racial inequality and makes clear that color-blind racism is as insidious now as ever. The sixth edition of this provocative book includes new material on systemic racism and how color-blind racism framed many issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. A revised conclusion addresses what readers can do to confront racism—both personally and on a larger structural level.
New to this edition:
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is the James B. Duke Professor of sociology at Duke University. He gained visibility in the social sciences with his 1997 American Sociological Review article, "Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation," where he challenged analysts to study racial matters structurally rather than from the sterile prejudice perspective. His book, Racism Without Racists, has become a classic in the field and influenced scholars in education, religious studies, political science, rhetoric, psychology, political science, legal studies, and sociology. He is also the author of four other books: White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era (co-winner of the 2002 Oliver Cox Award given by the American Sociological Association); White Out: The Continuing Significance of Racism (with Ashley Doane); in 2008 White Logic, White Methods: Racism and Methodology (with Tukufu Zuberi and also the co-winner of the 2009 Oliver Cox Award); and in 2011 State of White Supremacy: Racism, Governance, and the United States (with Moon Kie Jung and Joao H. Costa Vargas). Bonilla-Silva received the Lewis Coser Award in 2007, given by the Theory Section of the American Sociological Association for Theoretical-Agenda Setting and, in 2011, the Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award given by the American Sociological Association "to an individual or individuals for their work in the intellectual traditions of the work of these three African American scholars." He served as President of the Southern Sociological Society and the American Sociological Association in 2017-2018.
Acknowledgments
Preface to the Sixth Edition
1 The Strange Enigma of Race in Contemporary America
2 What Is Systemic Racism? Coming to Terms with Racism Shapes “All” Whites (and Non-Whites)
3 The New Racism: The U.S. Racial Structure since the 1960s
4 The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism
5 The Style of Color Blindness: How to Talk Nasty about Minorities without Sounding Racist
6 “I Didn’t Get That Job Because of a Black Man”: Color-Blind Racism’s Racial Stories
7 Peeking inside the White Habitus: The Significance of Whites’ Segregation
8 Are All Whites Refined Archie Bunkers? An Examination of White Racial Progressives
9 Are Blacks Color Blind, Too?
10 Color-Blind Racism in Pandemic Times
11 Conclusion: No Excuses: You Must Join the Fight against Color-Blind and Systemic Racism in America
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
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.
— Thomas A. Guglielmo, George Washington University
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.
— Karen S. Glover, California State University, San Marcos
Professor Bonilla-Silva’s Racism without Racists is a seminal text in the study of race and racism. Racism without Racists is theoretically rich, empirically grounded, and suitable for a range of undergraduate and graduate courses. Always current, the sixth edition includes a new chapter on systemic racism that further strengthens an already excellent text. Those who read and study Racism without Racists will be better equipped to identify and refute the unceasing deluge of color-blind nonsense presented as intelligent thought on racial matters. I’ve assigned Racism without Racists to my students for more than a decade, and each semester students share with me the transformative impact it had on both their intellectual and personal development.
— Ted Thornhill, Florida Gulf Coast University
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.
— Rogelio Sáenz, University of Texas at San Antonio
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.
— Amanda Lewis, University of Illinois
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.
— A. James McKeever, professor of sociology, Los Angeles Pierce College
