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A review by gajanperry
Racism: A Short History by George M. Fredrickson
2.0
I think the first few chapters of this book which deal with the history of the emergence of European racism as we know it now, to be categorical imperatives that have universalised xenophobia towards the global south, are critical reading, especially now. The telling of how in the European context this movement towards the modern zeitgeist of a white supremacy which has exported suffering to the global south, is a function of Christian demonisation and fear of Jewish people before the modern colonial period, is so compellingly written, when then interlaced with how this entrenched what we would call 'blood purity' as a Western ideal that now functions as a hegemon.
However, there is just undeniably a whole lot missing that is needed to tell the whole story. The book can call itself 'A Short History' but it makes very little attempt to even acknowledge what is left out; the possibility of other subjectivities beyond the very few examples it uses which are largely limited to colonies which now make up the Global North, suggests at worst an ignorance of such or an assertion of their non-importance - so ultimately I did find this quite disappointing
However, there is just undeniably a whole lot missing that is needed to tell the whole story. The book can call itself 'A Short History' but it makes very little attempt to even acknowledge what is left out; the possibility of other subjectivities beyond the very few examples it uses which are largely limited to colonies which now make up the Global North, suggests at worst an ignorance of such or an assertion of their non-importance - so ultimately I did find this quite disappointing