The Raceless Antiracist

"Within the dusty catalog of long-discarded theories about the universe and humankind's place in it, one idea continues to permeate the popular imagination as much today as it did at its ignominious invention: the idea of "race." As a society, we treat the "racial" categories that were invented centuries ago as if they are, in truth, inescapable and permanent aspects of reality. We organize, divide, and judge people based on our belief in "race"-and we often define ourselves and our relationships with others based on this same belief. Many scholars and activists argue that this type of racialization is necessary because even if "race" is not real, racism is. While such an approach might help lessen some effects of racism, it inevitably strengthens the very foundation of racism. As Sheena Michele Mason argues in The Raceless Antiracist, fighting racism by reifying the idea of "race" and operating within the practice of racialization is like trying to stop a flood by dousing it with water. To end racism, we must end the very idea of "race" itself, our practice of racialization, and the attending power imbalances that are part and parcel of race/ism"--