Table Of Contentsystemic racism
Making Liberty, Justice, and Democracy Real
Co-edited by
ruth thompson-miller | kimberley ducey
Contributors
george yancy terence d. fitzgerald
adia harvey wingfield louwanda evans
anthony j. weems david g.t. embrick
kristianna weber charity clay
carol s. walther edna b. chun
yanick st. jean kenneth sean chaplin
john n. singer christopher chambers
claire m. renzetti noël a. cazenave
jennifer c. mueller roy l. brooks
ana s.q. liberato glenn bracey ii
kristen lavelle marcus bell
john d. foster pinar batur
Systemic Racism
Ruth Thompson-Miller · Kimberley Ducey
Co-editors
Systemic Racism
Making Liberty, Justice, and Democracy Real
Co-editors
Ruth Thompson-Miller Kimberley Ducey
University of Dayton University of Winnipeg
Dayton, OH, USA Winnipeg, MB, Canada
ISBN 978-1-137-59409-9 ISBN 978-1-137-59410-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59410-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017940371
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For “Fearless Feagin”
F
oreword
I am humbled to have been invited to write the foreword to this collec-
tion of essays in honor of Joe R. Feagin. I count Joe among my cher-
ished friends, and I admire and respect him as a fellow sociologist—one
with an unrelenting passion for identifying the causes and consequences
of, as well as remedies for, white racism. In fact, the title of this book,
Systemic Racism, highlights one of his most important contributions:
moving the sociological study of race from the social-psychological level
of individuals’ prejudices and discrimination to the social-structural level
of institutionally embedded oppression.
Indeed, the study of white racism has been the primary focus of
Joe’s prolific 50-year career. Joe has published more than 70 books,
many of which have gone through multiple editions, strong evidence
of their enduring significance. Several of these books have won prestig-
ious awards, including the Gustavus Myers Center Outstanding Human
Rights Book Award (both Living with Racism and White Racism: The
Basics), the Oliver C. Cox Book Award from the American Sociological
Association (White Racism: The Basics), and the Choice Award (both
Liberation Sociology and White Men on Race). Joe’s second book, Ghetto
Revolts, published in 1973, just 6 years after he received his Ph.D. from
Harvard University, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. In addition to
these books, Joe has published more than 200 book chapters, journal
articles, and reports, and he has delivered more than 200 conference
presentations, invited lectures, and public addresses. Underlying this pro-
lificacy is the motivation captured in the subtitle of this volume: to make
vii
viii FOREWORD
“liberty, justice, and democracy real.” Many of the contributions to this
book demonstrate the influence of Joe’s research and theorizing at the
applied level on public policy and practice. As Roy L. Brooks writes in
Chap. 6, Joe’s work has inspired and guided several generations of civil
rights activists and scholars.
The intergenerational influence of Joe’s research and writing must
not be underestimated, but arguably more important is Joe’s impact as a
mentor. I cannot even guess the number of graduate students and faculty
he has mentored during his career. A count might begin with the theses
and dissertations he has chaired, along with the number of books and
articles he has co-authored with graduate students and colleagues. One
might expect this kind of collaboration perhaps from a primary advisor,
but Joe’s support and encouragement extend to those with whom he has
not worked directly—for example, those who may have been introduced
by a faculty colleague at another university, or who may have simply
reached out to him after reading one of his books or articles. Joe is obvi-
ously very busy, but one would never get this impression when seeking
his advice or feedback. He is incredibly generous with his time and guid-
ance, which has been to the benefit of countless students and colleagues,
myself included.
The publication of Systemic Racism is timely. I experienced an unfor-
tunate sense of déjà vu when I read in Noël Cazenave’s chapter a quote
from the preface to Discrimination American Style (1978). Joe and
Clairece Booher Feagin wrote, “As this goes to press, concern over dis-
crimination against non-white minorities and women has receded sub-
stantially into the background. The publicly expressed concern of the
1960s over such matters seems to have evaporated. The current public
concern is over the treatment of white males in ‘affirmative action’ pro-
grams” (p. xi). Certainly, the 2016 Republican presidential campaign and
the outcome of the election indicate that whatever public concern over
racism and sexism that may have existed in recent years has been replaced
by a resurgence in support for white supremacy and hegemonic mas-
culinity. The white racial frame appears to be stronger than it has been
since the white backlash of the 1980s, buttressed by systemic racism that
has at least tacit—and, at times, quite explicit—approval at the highest
level of government.
The contributors to this volume identify some of the gaps in the
extant research and theorizing on systemic racism, but in doing so, they
FOREWORD ix
also illuminate the way forward. Joe R. Feagin’s life’s work provides the
solid foundation on which these contributors and countless others are
building not only critical insights about the development and reproduc-
tion of systemic racism and the white racial frame, but also the means to
dismantle them. That, after all, is the ultimate goal—and there could be
no more fitting tribute to Joe, nor greater testament to his legacy.
Claire M. Renzetti
Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair
for Studies of Violence Against Women,
Professor and Chair of Sociology
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
BiBliography
Feagin, Joe R. and Clairece Booher Feagin. 1978. Discrimination American style:
Institutional Racism and Sexism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Feagin, Joe R. and Eileen O’Brien. 2003. White Men on Race. Boston: Beacon
Press.
Feagin, Joe R. and Harlan Hahn. 1973. Ghetto Revolts: The Politics of Violence in
American Cities. New York: Macmillan.
Feagin, Joe R. and Hernán Vera. 1995. White Racism: The Basics. New York:
Routledge.
Feagin, Joe R. and Hernán Vera. 2001. Liberation Sociology. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press.
Feagin, Joe R., and Melvin P. Sikes. 1994. Living with Racism: The Black Middle
Class Experience. Boston: Beacon Press.
a
cknowledgements
Among the countless lessons Joe R. Feagin has thus far passed to Ruth
Thompson-Miller and Kimberley Ducey is the notion that human lives
are much like symphonies, with a grand medley of individuals impacting
on how we develop. The edited volume—intended as a tribute to Joe—
epitomizes this symphonic idea. Ruth and Kimberley wish to acknowl-
edge the individuals who made this book possible. For their constant
and unreserved support a great debt is owed to the Palgrave MacMillan
team, especially Krya Saniewski, Subasree Sairam, Alexis Nelson, Mireille
Yanow, Mara Berkoff, Milana Vernikova, and Senthil Kumar Kumaravel.
Chantal Ducey is owed recognition for compiling the Index and
Bibliographies contained within these pages, for generously revising the
Endnotes throughout the process, and for taking on an endless array
of other jobs. With her trademark bigheartedness, Chantal made many
a deadline far less wearisome. Ruth and Kimberley thank the contribu-
tors, not only for their superb work contained within these pages, but
also for their inspirational resilience, courage, and dedication to making
liberty, justice, and democracy real. Ruth would like to personally thank
the three loves of her life—her daughter Nefertiti and her grandchildren
Myia and Yasmeen. They continue to make her laugh and have helped
her through blocks in the road. Without them, Ruth could not have
continued with her work. She deeply appreciates their love and support.
Kimberley would like to personally thank her three families. There is the
Ducey-Dallaire-Dusseault household, including her much beloved animal
companions. There is theintellectual family —‘birds of a feather flocking
xi
xii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
together’—including intellectual aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers,
who contributed to the book. There is the family Kimberley has found
among colleagues and students, including the hundreds of racialized
people who have explained to her how deeply systemic racism continues
to operate in their everyday lives. One day, perhaps the North American
continent—known as Turtle Island by the First Peoples—will witness
genuine liberty, justice, and democracy. Until then, by way of this trib-
ute, Ruth and Kimberley are humbled and honored for the opportunity
to give back to Joe, who has profoundly enriched the lives of innumer-
able folks, and is among the courageous Americans who live up to the
ideals of liberty-and-justice.
note
1. Denise Oliver Velez, “My ‘Identity’ Can Get Me Killed,” Daily
Kos, 4 December 2016, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/
12/4/1605095/-My-identity-can-get-me-killed, accessed 29
December 2016.
