Institutional Racism: A Primer on Theory and Strategies for Social Change

by Shirley Better

In the United States the economic exploitation of non-white groups has included the reliance on African American slave labor by Southern plantation owners, the systematic removal of Native Americans from their homelands to make room for white settlers, and the relegation of non-white workers to the most low-paid, dangerous and dirty jobs. Through numerous examples Shirley Better demonstrates that racism is embedded within the fabric of American society, restricting equal access to educational opportunities, employment, and housing. She explores the influence of racism in the criminal justice system where it leads to harsher penalties for members of non-white groups. Having outlined the causes and effects of institutional racism, the author presents numerous strategies for individuals and groups to combat this pervasive social problem.

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous, methodical look into why racism isn't just present in people's attitudes, beliefs, and practices, but also within systems and structures within the US, and deliberately so. It talks about the economic, social, and psychic benefits of white privilege, and how both white people and people of color can work within systems to bring about racial pluralism and dismantle racist structures and ideologies. I read it for a class, but it was really excellent for anybody wanting to do anti-racist work.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is meant to be an undergraduate teaching tool for explaining structural racism. Better's account of structural racism focuses on whites maintaining economic privilege through structural racism. It's very much a "race is a tool to manipulate and divide the working class" analysis. While I don't disagree with this analysis, I think it's a bit simplistic. Better offers clear definitions of important terms. However, her analysis is a bit too simplistic for this book to be useful to me as a teaching tool. There are more rigorous options available, like Lipstiz's Possessive Investment in Whiteness of Marable's Great Wells of Democracy.