Strategic racism benefits only the wealthiest and most powerful
“If racism is a class weapon, then ending racism is in the self-interest of nearly every American.”
Ian Haney López (Courtesy photo)
Ian Haney López is a law professor whose work focuses on race and racism. His books Dog Whistle Politics and Merge Left probe how racism is deployed in electoral politics and how different stories about race and class can help bring us together.
Could you unpack the term identity politics for us? Where does it come from? Why is it used?
Identity politics can be a substantive term, expressing the idea that people engage with each other partly informed by who they are. But in practice, the term is usually used as a dog whistle. It suggests that some people are elevating their identity above other priorities and that when they do that, they create division in our society.
