Rutgers-Camden Anti-Racism Book Study: So You Want to Talk About Race

Chapter 2 - What is racism?

There are many definitions of racism, but it is particularly important to understand that racism is racial prejudice backed up by power. The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines racism as "the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another."

In So You Want to Talk About Race, Oluo employs the following definition of racism: "any prejudice against someone because of their race, when those views are reinforced by systems of power." The resources below address systemic racism and oppression.

Discussions of race and racism often touch on the concept of "reverse racism." The resources below examine reverse racism in the context of existing power structures in the United States.