Structural Racism: The Dynamics of Opportunity and Race in America, a groundbreaking new book by OBI Assistant Director Stephen Menendian, explains how racial inequality in the United States is produced and perpetuated and what should be done about it. It develops the elusive concept of “structural racism,” presenting a precise definition that is clear and comprehensible, and illustrates how it operates methodically and rigorously.
Many other books are long on problems and short on solutions, whereas this book develops the key principles that must ground a structural reform agenda, and then presents a broad-ranging set of interventions organized around ten themes that will reduce racial disparities while expanding opportunity for all.
Purchase this book from:
- Routledge (25% discount code: StruRac25)
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
Unlike most books on race which focus on a particular issue or sector, this book is comprehensive in its scope, encompassing the vital systems that shape racial inequality in contemporary American society: from education and public schools to income and wealth disparities to housing and health care to policing and the criminal justice system. As such, this book is the ideal text for readers seeking to learn more about structural racial inequality in society, how it came to be that way, and what we should do about it, while deepening our understanding and challenging many misguided or simplistic prevailing notions.
In a time of backlash to racial justice and growing doubts about racial equity initiatives, this book is a timely and necessary entry. A must read for advocates, students, policymakers, and researchers alike.
Advanced praise from leading experts
“Structural racism” is a term too easily thrown around nowadays as a substitute for careful thought. If you want to know what it really means, and why understanding its nuances is so important, Stephen Menendian’s book is the place to start.
- Richard Rothstein, Author, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
"Drawing upon illustrative stories of racial inequality across a wide range of institutional sites and practices, Menendian maps the enduring and intractable character of structural racism. He effectively demonstrates how opportunity in the United States is racialized and what this means for the remedies to address it."
- Michael Omi, University of California, Berkeley, Co-author, Racial Formation in the United States
"In this book Stephen is not content to just define the problem, but presents concrete and realistic solutions. As the country continues, at times reluctantly and at times aggressively, to struggle with race, Stephen’s work is and will be a ‘must’ read. This work is thorough, insightful, and deeply illuminating."
- john a. powell, Professor of Law, African-American, & Ethnic Studies, at UC Berkeley
