University of Washington Press Protecting Whiteness: Whitelash and the Rejection of Racial Equality

The standoff at Cliven Bundy’s ranch, the rise of white identity activists on college campuses, and the viral growth of white nationalist videos on YouTube vividly illustrate the resurgence of white supremacy and overt racism in the United States. White resistance to racial equality can be subtle as well―like art museums that enforce their boundaries as elite white spaces, “right on crime” policies that impose new modes of surveillance and punishment for people of color, and environmental groups whose work reinforces settler colonial norms. In this incisive volume, twenty-four leading sociologists assess contemporary shifts in white attitudes about racial justice in the US. Using case studies, they investigate the entrenchment of white privilege in institutions, new twists in anti-equality ideologies, and “whitelash” in the actions of social movements. Their examinations of new manifestations of racist aggression help make sense of the larger forces that underpin enduring racial inequalities and how they reinvent themselves for each new generation. Review The interwoven nature of the numerous writers’ work will add nuances and complexity to any conversation associated with this work. Therefore, this thought-provoking book searches for avenues to wake-up some; spark true reality to others; and lastly unravel complicity expressed by lack of non-movement in others. The book is a breeding ground for several heated debates. ― Ethnic and Racial Studies This timely collection offers an array of essays from talented critical sociologists probing aspects of the continuation and resurgence of 21st-century white supremacist and nationalist thought and action, supported by much social science data. ― Choice About the Author Cameron D. Lippard is professor and chair of sociology at Appalachian State University and coauthor with J. Scott Carter of The Death of Affirmative Action: Racialized Tactics and the Fight for College Admissions. J. Scott Carter is associate professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida. David G. Embrick is associate professor of sociology and Africana studies at the University of Connecticut and coeditor of Challenging the Status Quo: Diversity, Democracy, and Equality in the 21st Century.