Structural Racism in Practice

Talking and thinking about race and racism has once again become a contested terrain of social, political and also symbolic struggles. The concept of structural racism lies at the center of these debates. Anti-racist struggles and social movements as well as a new wave of critical theorizing about race and racism have focused our attention on this concept, emphasizing the structural nature of racism. But there is also a massive public backlash against (largely imaginary constructions of) critical race theory which focuses on this term, attacking its presumably unscientific and ideological character. Where are we in the debates and conceptual struggles about racism today? What is structural racism? What are the practical and theoretical advantages and disadvantages of different concepts of racism? What are the practical and theoretical advantages and disadvantages of different concepts of racism? And how do they allow us to fight racism effectively? These are the question Robin Celikates discusses with Magali Bessone and César Cabezas in this episode.