What Is Antiracism (And Why It Means Anticapitalism)?

A lecture by Arun Kundnani discussing the relationship between racism and capitalism, and alternative approaches to antiracist struggle. Kundnani explores divergence between the liberal and radical traditions of antiracism, arguing that the liberal tradition has emphasized challenging racialized beliefs and ideas within populations,  but has ignored the structural dynamics of racial oppression. Building on the insights of Franz Fanon and CLR James, Kundnani renews the radical antiracist tradition through an analysis of the neoliberal era, providing a framework for thinking about how to challenge racial capitalism.

Arun Kundnani has been active in antiracist movements in Britain and the United States for three decades. He is a former Editor of the journal Race & Class and was a scholar-in-residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at New York Public Library. Currently working on a biography of Jamil Al Amin, he is the author of What is Antiracism? (Verso, 2023), The Muslims Are Coming! (Verso, 2014), and The End of Tolerance (Pluto, 2007).