Discover Arun Kundnani's illuminating exploration, "What Is Antiracism?: And Why It Means Anticapitalism," presented in A Radical Audiobook Series.
For almost a century, liberal thinkers have posited racism as primarily an issue of extremist personal beliefs. Their solution? Educate individuals to overcome their prejudices. This perspective, emerging in response to the horrors of Nazism and championed by figures like Magnus Hirschfeld and Ruth Benedict, has shaped today's widely accepted liberal antiracism, manifesting in diversity trainings and media activism. Yet, alongside this, a more radical antiracism has emerged, rooted in the Third World. Visionaries like C.L.R. James, Claudia Jones, and Frantz Fanon discerned the inseparable links between racism, colonialism, and capitalism—a view even Martin Luther King came to share.
In this pivotal work, Kundnani articulates a pressing reality: liberal antiracism, for all its noble intent, lacks the tools to dismantle the overarching structures of oppression. No amount of personal introspection or confrontation of one's own biases can shift these ingrained systems. Drawing from rigorous research and historical narratives, Kundnani chronicles the trajectories of these two antiracist philosophies, arriving at a compelling conclusion as the world navigates the challenges of the late twentieth century: to truly counter racism, one must confront its capitalist underpinnings.
While this audiobook is generously available at no cost, readers who wish for a tactile engagement with its insights can acquire the physical book. Secure your copy at Verso Books. By doing so, you gain a treasure for your shelf and champion the extensive research and dedication behind this transformative narrative.
Engage with this audiobook, reflect on its revelations, and be inspired to partake in the global pursuit of a more equitable world.
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