Protecting Whiteness

Insights into the racialized fear of change in US society

Insights into the racialized fear of change in US society

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.

Cameron Lippard is professor of sociology at Appalachian State University. With J. Scott Carter, he is coauthor of The Death of Affirmative Action: Racialized Tactics and the Fight for College Admissions (Bristol University Press, forthcoming 2020). He is coeditor of a number of volumes, including Modern Moonshine: The Revival of White Whiskey in the Twenty-First Century (West Virginia University Press, 2018), Being Brown in Dixie: Race, Ethnicity, and Latino Immigration in the New South (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2012,) and Race and Racism in the United States: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic (Greenwood). He is coeditor of the journal Sociological Inquiry.Carter J. Scott :

J. Scott Carter is associate professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida. With Cameron Lippard, he is coauthor of The Death of Affirmative Action: Racialized Tactics and the Fight for College Admissions (Bristol University Press, forthcoming 2020). He is coeditor of the journal Sociological Inquiry.Embrick David G. :

David G. Embrick is associate professor of sociology and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. His coedited books include Globalization and America: Race, Human Rights, and Inequality (Rowman & Littlefield) and is coauthor of a forthcoming book on racial microaggressions (NYU). He is a coeditor of the journal Sociology of Race and Ethnicity and associate editor of the journal Social Problems. He coedits the book series, "Sociology of Race and Ethnicity," for the University of Georgia Press.Bonilla-Silva Eduardo :

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is professor of sociology at Duke University. He is author of Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America (Rowman & Littlefield) and White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era (Lynne Rienner Publishers). He is a past president of the American Sociological Association.

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.

"In this incisive volume, twenty-four leading sociologists assess contemporary shifts in white attitudes about racial justice in the U.S, using case studies and investigations of entrenched white privilege in institutions, new twists in anti-equality ideologies, and “whitelash” in the actions of social movements."

"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."

"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."

"Stellar and timely. . . . A guiding beacon to help us understand the Trump era as well as where we can go from here."—Tanya Golash-Boza, author of Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach

"Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the rise of white nationalism and racial inequality in the US."—Mary Romero, author of Introducing Intersectionality

"A critically important collection for our times. Protecting Whiteness is a must-read for scholars and activists alike as it maps out what is new and what is not-so-new about the current moment."—Amanda E. Lewis, coauthor of Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools

"Hard-hitting and insightful research. . . . Pushes the sociological tradition with a new set of lenses to view race and racism today."—W. Carson Byrd, University of Louisville

"Significantly expands the conversation and makes important interventions for discussions of race and racism in the twenty-first century, providing new tools, language, and theories."—David J. Leonard, author of Playing While White: Privilege and Power on and off the Field