How to Be an Antiracist

by

Ibram X. Kendi

Racial Capitalism Term Analysis

Racial capitalism refers to the historical links between racism and capitalism. Just like racism comes from a melding of policies and ideas, many of the deepest inequities in the modern world come from the historical joining of racism and capitalism. Specifically, capitalism relies on inequity between different groups of people to turn a profit—and these different groups are often divided by race.
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Racial Capitalism Term Timeline in How to Be an Antiracist

The timeline below shows where the term Racial Capitalism appears in How to Be an Antiracist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12: Class
Intersectionality Theme Icon
Kendi defines a class racist as someone who racializes certain socioeconomic groups or supports racial capitalist policies. Meanwhile, an antiracist anti-capitalist opposes racial capitalism. (full context)
Intersectionality Theme Icon
In Philadelphia, Kendi realized that the ghetto was formed through racial capitalism , the alliance between racism and capitalism. Martin Luther King Jr. pointed this out in... (full context)
Racism vs. Antiracism Theme Icon
Intersectionality Theme Icon
The History of Racist Ideas and Policies Theme Icon
Now, stark racial inequities in poverty, unemployment, wages, and wealth show that racial capitalism continues as before. And these inequities are worsening: globally, the income gap between rich (mostly... (full context)
Activism and Social Transformation Theme Icon
Intersectionality Theme Icon
The History of Racist Ideas and Policies Theme Icon
...and racism were like “conjoined twins,” and W.E.B. Du Bois began formulating the idea of racial capitalism while reading Marx. The generation of antiracist anti-capitalist activists who immediately followed Du Bois faced... (full context)