Living Racism

Living Racism is based on the premise that race and racism are well-entrenched elements of US society. The contributors of this volume argue that race and racism are more than mere concepts; instead, they see and treat these as part of the fabric that constitutes and organizes everyday life. Consequently, race and racism are maintained through structures such as social institutions (e.g., schools, criminal justice system, media, etc.) and are carried by individual actors through racial ideologies and a racial etiquette (beliefs, practices, traditions, and customs) that inform how people relate to and interact with one another (or not). As expressed throughout this book, the notion of living racism is twofold. On the one hand, living racism denotes the ways in which racism is embodied and active, much like a living organism. On the other hand, living racism connects with the ways that people must navigate racism in their individual and collective lives.

Living Racism: Through the Barrel of the Book edited by Theresa Rajack-Talley and Derrick R. Brooms responds to the challenge of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to find ‘the prescription for the cure’ to anti-black racism ‘with the accurate diagnosis of the disease.’ This book concludes that racism, despite its complexity, must be challenged by honest, heartfelt actions and words. This will require social engagement in many different arenas to eradicate and to eliminate anti-black racism. Doing nothing is not an option! Living Racism: Through the Barrel of the Book is an appropriate memorial to the work of the late Clarence R. Talley who developed the idea for the book, but was unable to see its publication., Collaboratively, the editors have produced a prolific study on the concept, formation, and application of race in America. Additionally, the book is organized and prepared to examine the cognitive areas of education, gender, and public policy. Collectively, this volume is a major contribution to social science research in the discipline of Africana Studies., The compelling essays comprising this anthology offer a robust examination of the origins, continuities, and malleability of racism and its attendant policy impact in the American polity.

Theresa Rajack-Talley is professor of pan-African studies at the University of Louisville.Derrick R. Brooms is associate professor of sociology and Africana studies at the University of Cincinnati.