BuxMont DSA Political Education - Racial Capitalism & Black Marxism

This session of BuxMont DSA's Theory Series will introduce attendees to socialist analysis of racial oppression, particularly in the tradition of Black Marxism and through the analytical category of “racial capitalism.” We will discuss how the socialist fight for a world that centers human needs over profits necessitates struggles to end racism. We will discuss the history of the term “racial capitalism” to consider its conceptual salience for our movements, to consider how capitalism constitutes the basis of modern racial domination, and to question whether capitalism needs racism or if it can function without it. We will approach the charge that Marxism and socialists downplay race by centering class, questioning whether an accurate and useful account of racism demands a break from traditional Marxist thought or fidelity to its full development. We will consider how liberal antiracism–demands for representation, DEI initiatives, legal reforms of recognition–obscure the class character of racism and fall short of a comprehensive horizon of liberation. Finally, we will consider how Left programs of universal emancipation can be oriented to address the particular vulnerabilities and disparities faced by Black, brown, and other racialized populations under capitalism. 

Completing the readings is highly recommended, but our session is built for the benefit of all, regardless of preparation in advance.

Core Readings: 

• Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor - “What About Racism?” 
• Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò - “A Framework to Help Us Understand the World”
• Enzo Rossi & Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò - “What’s New About Woke Racial Capitalism (And What Isn’t)”  

Further Reading: 

• Jeff Goodwin (interview) - “How Black Marxists Have Understood Racial Oppression”
• Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor - “Black Class Matters” 
• Julian Go - “Three Tensions in the Theory of Racial Capitalism”