Patricia Williams' fabulous 1995 Reith Lectures offer a profound and sharp insight into the complex and often overlooked aspects of race and racism.

These lectures, which are available here, explore the banality of race and racism, highlighting how deeply ingrained these issues are in our society.

Williams delves into the pernicious effects that racism has on individuals and communities, from the psychological and emotional toll it takes to the systemic inequalities it perpetuates.

Moreover, she also presents ways to deal with living in a racist world, offering practical strategies and solutions for individuals and society as a whole.

By listening to these lectures, we can gain a better understanding of the challenges we face in combating racism and work towards creating a more just and equal society.

Race blindness is often presented as a noble and progressive stance. However, it can actually be a nefarious concept.

When we claim to be race blind, we are essentially ignoring the very real and significant impact that race has had and continues to have on people's lives. We are dismissing the historical and systemic inequalities that have been built upon race.

By pretending that race doesn't matter, we are failing to address the root causes of discrimination and injustice. We are also invalidating the experiences and identities of people of color.

A truly inclusive and just society requires us to recognize and understand the role that race plays. We need to actively work towards dismantling the structures of racism and promoting equality.

So, if you want to understand why race blindness can be harmful, this short but powerful read is a great place to start. It will challenge you to think more deeply about the issue and encourage you to take action.

I worry that we often enshrine the concept of colorblindness with a sort of utopianism. The naïveté in this approach makes it elusive.

Williams astutely reveals "the new rhetoric of racism", which, as she points out, doesn't mention race. Racism, as the "public secret" of society, shows that these dynamics operate on both interpersonal and systemic levels. Her anecdotes, similar to and as revealing as Claudia Rankine's "Citizen", are truly heartbreaking. Yet, her vision of "an investment that envisions each of us in each other" gives a glimmer of hope. Maybe the difference between hope and optimism is that hope anticipates a better world in the future, while optimism (at least the kind she exposes here) tries to force itself to see a better world in the present.

What Williams thoughtfully and clearly explores in her lectures on Seeing a Color-Blind Future is the unfortunate and perhaps harmful tendency to discuss ideals as if they were realities. Can we recognize progress and the ideals that should guide us, without falling into the trap of self-congratulation or denial that makes us think our ideal has been achieved? Can we understand the complexity of living in a more just world, but not a perfectly Just World? This is seen not only in the language of color-blindness but also in concepts like meritocracy and the "American Dream".

She asks, "how can it be that so many well-meaning white people have never thought about race when so few blacks pass a single day without being reminded of it?" The embrace of color-blindness as a social reality is just a manifestation of privilege, of taking the neutral (read: hegemonic) position. You don't see race because you don't see yourself (and aren't seen as) having a race, and that itself is a privilege. Color is very much a reality, and to pretend otherwise is at best an ideological confusion and at worst a denial. It's important, it's part of ourselves, and yet, it shouldn't matter.

In some ways, the tension between color-blindness and race-consciousness is related to the questions of means and ends we've been discussing. Some believe that we can only use color-blind means to achieve the end of color-blindness. For example, Chief Justice John Roberts' statement in the Parents vs. Seattle School District opinion: "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race". However, such a decree seems to overlook the context in which such a program was developed, which involves a complex history of housing and education segregation. The Aristotelian mean here is hard to find. Perhaps the best way forward is to be sensitive to the contexts that require race-consciousness to achieve the ideal of a color-blind world in the distant future. The end of color-blindness is fairness, and the end of race-consciousness is to promote a fair equality of opportunity. So, how do we get there best?

I read a recent Op-Ed that explains how marketing race-blind policies as racial equity initiatives can do more harm than good. Basically, a left-of-center economic agenda with broad public support loses that support when it's marketed as only dealing with racial equity. Maybe because of the neoliberal tendency to think in zero-sum terms, many in the majority see this gain for "others" as a loss for themselves, even though some of the poorest districts in the country could benefit the most from the federal benefits being promoted. In a simplified way, this has led some to believe that voters care more about cultural self-interest than economic self-interest. By turning off these voters, more conservative politicians can use this cultural self-interest to block economically progressive legislation. From a consequentialist perspective, is the mention of race in this instance doing more harm than good? The conversation matters. But what comes after the conversation?

Race is it indicative of class? Does color define power? It seems race has transformed the barriers and erected fundamental rifts in humanity.

In the era of the Greeks and Romans, there were slaves. Some received the grace to be free, while others stayed imprisoned. The same transferences can be summed up in modern America, with the reality of redlining and racial surcharge. What could be gathered in a culture that is not new of human incongruence?

Many may not know the spectacle of black or Afro-Latino or biopic predestination. Is whiteness the unfatigable perjorative norm for racism? Meaning, has black culture been given the culture transmography from poor criminal to elected passable white after middle class status? It’s interesting how blacks are seen as white until alienation or catastrophe.

I understand class and race in the context of economy and the status of education, which especially during slavery were limited resources. The knowledge of history and race brings people towards spatial liberation, the freedom to be who they wish and live where they find most equity.

In this way, I assume the idea of racial divide as an economy of access to wealth or rather education. White or black, rich or poor communities move toward places of rich knowledge, rich locations for the advancement of their unique family.

When the market value of housing drops due to invasive technology, human incongruity, which is in many ways machine or given over to the mechanics of finding a more sustainable form of illumination, occurs. Meaning, the stock of man is dependent on how someone can raise or lower the efficacy of power in societal relationships.

If racial divide creates a lack of wealth for a community, if the standard of beauty lies solely on one category of humanity, then this makes sense to make the person's status subject to extraneous factors besides cars, houses, education, and be socially accepted to make its association to a level of connection with higher classed people or those with more economic resources to help create a fertile environment for placing their seed into roost.

In a more basic way, humans classify race disparity with the way or manner in which association with one group or another gives us ease of access to resources, to find a mate, build a nest, rear children, and live a longer, healthier, and more comfortable life.

In a sense, my prognosis for alleviating the divide put in mechanically from systematic segregation and slavery would be for an equanimous balance of power, which invariably we actually do see in society, although it is understood less and less and even overlooked. Such conflict in the body structure of the poorer class, the bourgeois, and the untouchable class can be seen in my controversial perspective as being more resilient and stronger, not necessarily black or white, but based on the economic imbalance of work roles.

Yes, it is said that more educated, more spiritual, and healthier living proves longevity, but if the master, so to speak, lives close at hand to the slave, so to speak, does not both parties benefit? Not to say that the slave always wishes to be the master one day. In effect, it may be controversial to speak in these terms about class disruption or imbalance, but that was why my thesis on education is the overbearing reality of emancipation and will always be the sole source of freedom, from education in the arts or music or sports to science and philosophy or politics.

This is a slight book that packs a wallop.

Despite consisting of only 80 pages divided into five essays, it offers a swift reading experience.

Nevertheless, it is by no means forgettable. Williams approaches the issues of race from multiple perspectives, resulting in a highly engaging and powerful contemplation on American culture, the concept of being "color-blind," and what is required for our society to progress beyond past伤痛 and迈向 a more promising future.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in race issues, especially those who are new to the discussion. It provides valuable insights and a fresh perspective that can enhance one's understanding of this complex and important topic.

It is truly a privilege to read this (very slim) book.

Despite its slender size, it holds within it a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

The words on its pages seem to dance and come alive, captivating the reader from the very first sentence.

Each paragraph is carefully crafted, presenting ideas in a clear and engaging manner.

The author's unique perspective and writing style make this book a joy to read.

It is not a book that can be read quickly and forgotten; rather, it is one that demands to be savored and reread.

Whether you are looking for entertainment, enlightenment, or simply a good read, this slim volume is sure to satisfy.

So, take the time to pick up this book and embark on a journey of discovery and delight.

You will not be disappointed.

Williams is an extremely beautiful writer.

Her role as a law professor enables her to avoid being trapped in the verbose legalese that is commonly associated with the profession in American culture.

On the contrary, Williams expresses herself with a clarity and cadence that I can detect in the works of Lorde and Morrison.

Even though this book was written more than two decades ago, it gives the impression of having been composed just last year.

In a sense, it reads almost like a more contemporary text compared to Tim Wise's work on it in "Between Barack and a Hard Place."

Williams's ideas are not only accessible but also highly useful in deconstructing the intricate cultural phenomenon of "color-blindness."

Her work provides valuable insights and perspectives that can help us better understand and address the complex issues related to race and ethnicity in our society.

Overall, Williams's writing is a remarkable achievement that deserves to be widely read and studied.

See: author Bell Hooks. Her works explore various aspects of privilege, power, and difference. Allan G. Johnson also delves into these themes in his writings. Beverly D. Tatum's book, "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity, offers valuable insights into the complex topic of racial identity development. It helps us understand the factors that contribute to the formation of racial identities and the experiences of different racial groups. Michael K. Brown's Race, Money, and the American Welfare State examines the intersection of race and economic policies in the United States. These works by different authors provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the issues related to privilege, power, and difference in our society.

In the 1997 BBC Reith Lecture, there was an autographed copy that presented a version of what I call the Michael Jackson syndrome of self-elimination (p. 29).

A best-selling book allegedly proved anew that blacks and poor people are more stupid than everyone else, or as they put it, "genetically inferior" to the rest of humanity (p. 47).

(Could it be "The Bell Curve"???)

There is also an interesting exchange. An American asked, "What percentage of Haiti's population is white?" The answer was ninety-five percent. The American official was flustered and, assuming the Haitian was mistaken, exclaimed, "I don't understand -- how on earth do you come up with such a figure."

The Haitian retorted, "Well, how do you measure blackness in the United States?"

"Anyone with a black ancestor."

"Well, that's exactly how we measure whiteness," said the Haitian (p. 52!!!!!). This shows the different perspectives and definitions of race in different contexts.

A short book that is based upon a series of lectures given by Professor Williams in England, it is truly filled to the brim with incisive and penetrating insights.

Moreover, Professor Williams is an extremely talented wordsmith. I found myself writing down many passages in my reader response journal.

Regardless of one's stance on the claim that we are now living in a "post-racial" society, any individual with even a modicum of thinking ability can admit that we are still a long way from eradicating the problem of racism, despite the significant progress we have made in looking beyond race.

Even so, the institutional disparities are shockingly obvious and still require our attention. (For example, Professor Williams provides the instance of a mortgage company trying to overcharge her for a loan at a higher interest rate after learning that although she "sounded" white on the phone when she applied for the loan, she was actually black. Their justification? The area was experiencing a decline in property values. She later discovered this to be untrue. What the broker really meant was that once she, a black law professor, moved into the neighborhood, their models predicted a depression in property value. What else can we call this if not blatant discriminatory practice?)

This book remains relevant commentary simply because Professor Williams remains an optimist and firmly believes that ultimately our humanity will prevail over all other considerations. It is simple, intelligent optimism at its very best. I tend to agree with her, even in my most cynical moments.

It is a remarkable sign of Williams's prowess that she commences these essays with an engaging anecdote.

It pertains to her son's nursery school experience, where he was informed that he was colour blind. This was because he persistently told his teachers that the colour of the grass, sky, wall, or whatever else they inquired about did not matter.

As it turns out, he was the only black child in the school. In the guise of good liberals, they responded by repeatedly telling the kids that colour did not matter.

Her point here is twofold. Firstly, it is about the irony of their failure to recognize their own messages in a different context. Secondly, it emphasizes the significance of the politics of colour/'race' in contemporary US political and social life.

It is not something to simply assert but rather something to confront, recognize for what it truly is and what it is not (such as a euphemism for poverty or class).

If meaningful social change is to occur, it must be challenged. These concise essays, which are based on her 1997 Reith Lectures for the BBC, are truly marvellous.

Williams is indeed one of our finest contemporary public intellectuals.

**The Relational Self**

The concept of the relational self is a fascinating one. It emphasizes the idea that our sense of self is not an isolated entity but is deeply intertwined with our relationships and interactions with others.

We are constantly influenced by the people around us, whether it be our family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers. These relationships shape our beliefs, values, and behaviors, and in turn, our self-perception.

Understanding the relational self can help us better understand our own identities and how we navigate the social world. It also highlights the importance of healthy and positive relationships in our lives.

By being aware of the impact that others have on us, we can make more conscious choices about the relationships we cultivate and the people we surround ourselves with.

In conclusion, the relational self is an important area of study that has significant implications for our personal and social well-being.