Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Aug 3, 2006 - Social Science - 288 pages

The first edition of this best-selling book showed that alongside the subtle forms of discrimination typical of the post-Civil Rights era, new powerful ideology of 'color-blind racism' has emerged. Bonilla-Silva documented how beneath the rhetorical maze of contemporary racial discourse lies a full-blown arsenal of arguments, phrases, and stories that whites use to account for and ultimately justify racial inequities. In the new edition Bonilla-Silva has added a chapter dealing with the future of racial stratification in America that goes beyond the white / black dichotomy. He argues that the U.S. is developing a more complex and apparently 'plural' racial order that will mimic Latin American patterns of racial stratification. Another new chapter addresses a variety of questions from readers of the first edition. And he has updated the book throughout with new information, data, and references where appropriate. The book ends with a new Postscript, 'What is to be Done (For Real?)'. As in the highly acclaimed first edition, Bonilla-Silva continues to challenge color-blind thinking.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - bookwyrmm - LibraryThing

I do not disagree with Bonilla-Silva's thesis, I do question some of his support materials, plus the highly academic nature of the book made for slow reading.

User Review -

I thought it was very insightful and accurate for describing how racism thrives as more and more people claim they do not see color. A little one sided at times and a few of my other White friends thought the book was aggressive and painted a bad picture of all Whites. But I don't think the book did. If you're ready to hear some truth read it and start combating this so called "color-blind" racist ideology. 

About the author

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is research professor of sociology at Duke University.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States
• Author: Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
• Edition: 2, revised
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006
• ISBN: 0742568814, 9780742568815
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: Social Science / Discrimination