Racism and Capitalism: Crisis and Resistance - Essay Example

According to the author, racism has managed to expand due to the various ways in which it has been conceptualized. Racism is mainly seen as a system of practices that enforce the ideology of white privilege. Also, racism is conceptualized as a form of separatist oppression. Spector concludes that racism can only be eradicated if people avoid blind racism (Spector, 127).

To effectively fight against racism and oppression, it is necessary to understand four critical issues namely the distinct nature of racism vis-à-vis other forms of oppression, the economics and dynamics of racism oppression, identifying the main beneficiaries of racism, and taking into account class issues when dealing with racism:
- The first aspect of analyzing racism is to understand its development in the modern era.
- Racism as we know it today emerged from the annals of capitalism.
- The need for wealthy owners in Europe to maximize their profits led them to take Africans and other races as slaves to work in their firms.
- Racism emerged as a way for the rich to segment their labor force to maximize their returns from each segment.
- The patterns of racist oppression and exploitation seen today can easily be traced to the origins of capitalism.
- The main factor in analyzing racism is its base or root, upon which it is perpetrated.
- Given this background, it is easier to conclude that the main base or root of racism is exploitation for economic purposes as opposed to oppression.
- Racism can be conceptualized in many different ways.
- Racism as a system of practices.
- Racism is a complex system that encompasses many ideas and practices, all of which reinforce each other.
- The perception that racism should only be viewed in terms of ‘White-Black’ relations is in itself very narrow.
- A good understanding of the concept of racism has to take into account the different socioeconomic and political processes in society.
- Racism as a form of Separationist Oppression.
- Racism can also be viewed as one form of oppression just like other forms of separation that distinguish between different classes.
- These may be based on gender, religion, ethnicity, or even age.

Racism is driven by many different ideas and behaviors that promote the notion of White Privilege:
- Racism is an idea to enforce the agenda of the capitalists.
- The idea that racism promotes the agenda of the wealthy individuals in society begs the quest as to why some middle-class men also practice racism.
- Racism and the interests of the Whites.
- Beginning in the 1960s, racism was viewed as a means through which the Whites promoted their interests while opposing the interests of others, especially the blacks.
- This was mainly aimed at promoting white superiority over other races.
- Do all whites benefit from the notion of white privilege in racism?
- Only the wealthy whites can benefit from racism and the oppressive systems that sustain it because racism is meant to promote their capitalist agenda.
- Averting racism can only be achieved through avoiding color-blind racism.
- The concept of color-blind racism is a major block in fighting racism.
- Color-blind racism refers to the idea that all whites benefit from racism.
- This often takes the discussions of racism away from the questions of class relations, which are very prevalent in racism.