No Politics But Class Politics

Denouncing racism and celebrating diversity have become central mainstays of progressive politics: for many on the left, social justice consists of equitable distribution of wealth, power, and esteem among racial groups.

But as Adolph Reed, Jr. and Walter Benn Michaels argue in this groundbreaking collection of essays, the emphasis seems to be tragically misplaced. Not only does a fixation with racial disparities distract from the pervasive influence of class—it actually legitimises economic inequality.

“Adolph Reed, Jr. is the towering radical theorist of American democracy of his generation.” —Cornel West “Walter Benn Michaels is cunning, brilliant, acutely suggestive, exhilarating to read.” —Eric Lott