Description

People of good will on both the left and the right are secretly asking themselves the same question how has the conversation on race gone so crazy

Bestselling author and acclaimed linguist John McWhorter argues that an illiberal neoracism disguised as antiracism is hurting black communities and weakening the social fabric

Were told to read books and listen to music by people of colour but that wearing certain clothes is appropriation We hear that being white automatically gives you privilege and that being black makes you a victim We want to speak up but fear well be seen as unwoke or worse labelled a racist According to John McWhorter the problem is that a wellmeaning but pernicious form of antiracism has become not a progressive ideology but a religion and one thats illogical unreachable and unintentionally neoracist

In Woke Racism McWhorter reveals the workings of this new religion from the original sin of white privilege and the weaponization of cancel culture to ban heretics to the evangelical fervour of the woke mob He shows how this religion that claims to dismantle racist structures is actually harming his fellow black Americans by infantilizing black people setting black students up for failure and passing policies that disproportionately damage black communities The new religion might be called antiracism but it features a racial essentialism thats barely distinguishable from racist arguments of the past

Fortunately for all of us its not too late to push back against woke racism McWhorter shares scripts and encouragement with those trying to deprogramme friends and family And most importantly he offers a roadmap to justice that actually will help not hurt black people

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER