“Post-Racial” Society and Neoliberal Capitalism
If the election of Barack Obama is to be a “watershed event” enabling discussions about race in the U.S., what kinds of conversations will these be, and how will they effect the political landscape?
Mainstream and conservative commentators are widely speaking of the “post-racial” society, the overcoming of racial exclusion and the progress of U.S. history. In response, sober analyzes detail the ongoing forms of institutional racism. And since the election there have been hundreds of racist incidents reported.
While anti-racists are quickly pointing out the contradiction between the proclaimed “post-racial” society and the ongoing forms of racial inequality and racism, the “post-racial” ideologues are not arguing that racial inequality has disappeared. Rather, they are pushing a line of justification for this inequality. Like neoliberal ideology generally, the “post-racial” ideologues are shifting the responsibility away from structural and institutional causes, and onto the shoulders of those individuals (in this case, blacks) for their situation. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”
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