Material for the session: Race and Capitalism in the United States: An Introduction

This event will by hybrid, with both in-person and Zoom options

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Racism permeates every institution in the US. From policing, to the courts, to education, the economy, housing, political power, and the Constitution, it has been built into the structure of American society. This is further realized by genocidal wars against indigenous people, slavery, the unjust invasion waged against Mexico that stole two-thirds of its national territory, and the continued intervention of the US into the rest of the Global South.

Labor and oppressed ethnicities and nationalities face a common enemy in capitalism. These two forces are more than allies; they are comrades in the struggle to liberate humanity and build a multi-racial socialist democracy. While facing a common struggle against capitalist institutions, ethnic and national groups within the multi-racial working class often experience oppression differently. People of color face more severe forms of state violence and are more vulnerable to poverty and premature death. For example, although the majority of those in prison in the U.S. are white (52% of all prisoners), Black people are incarcerated at over double their percent of the US population (37% of all prisoners and 13% of the US population), according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

To investigate the relationship between race and capitalism we’ll use two sources: a video of a short lecture on racial capitalism by philosopher and DSA member Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò and an interview with historian Barbara Fields and sociologist Karen Fields. These sources offer two distinct frames for understanding the relationship between race and capitalism. In our discussion, we can explore their differences and contributions. As this is a complex topic, we hope these materials serve to introduce important concepts and questions in a balanced manner.