Overview

Why Race Still Matters argues that society is in urgent need of developing the skills of racial literacy, by jettisoning the idea that race is something and unveiling what race does as a key technology of modern rule, hidden in plain sight. Weaving together international examples, the book eviscerates misconceptions such as reverse racism and the newfound acceptability of 'race realism', bursts the 'I’m not racist, but' justification, complicates the common criticisms of identity politics and warns against using concerns about antisemitism as a proxy for antiracism. Whereas dominant voices in society suggest we are talking too much about race, this book shows why we actually need to talk about it more and how in doing so we can act to make it matter less.

Why Race Still Matters has been warmly received by anti-racist scholars and activists across Australia, Europe, and North America. The book has been acclaimed as “a bracing corrective to the simplifications and elisions that plague common-sensical and officially sanctioned conceptions of racism” and “a persuasive and exhaustive study of how race pervades our societies”. It has been praised for aptly demonstrating “how race has been made to appear insignificant in certain strands of scholarship and popular culture, and why this is dangerous and must be resisted at all costs”. It was also noted that its most prominent strength is ‘the breadth and depth of analyses, pulling from diverse sources from multiple national contexts to build upon and challenge contemporary discourses on race and racism.’

For its presentation in Portugal, the author Alana Lentin (Western Sydney University) will discuss the book and engage in conversation with Silvia Rodríguez Maeso (University of Coimbra - CES), Anna-Esther Younes (University of Amsterdam), and Sivamohan Valluvan (University of Warwick). Chaired by Maria Elena Indelicato (University of Coimbra - CES). The event promises to catalyse a productive debate on the status of anti-racist politics in Europe.

This event is organised by Maria Elena Indelicato (University of Coimbra - CES) and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso (University of Coimbra - CES). This is an activity within the research projects «POLITICS: The Politics of Anti-racism in Europe and Latin America: Knowledge Production, Decision-making and Collective struggles» (725402), and «A Colonial History of Anti-Racism in Education: Anthropology, Race Displacement and Knowledge Transliteration» (CEECIND/03945/2018/CP1549/CT00).

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This activity will be provided through Zoom platform and doesn’t require registration. It’s limited to the number of places available.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84215258615 | ID: 842 1525 8615

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