Chapter 15

Afterword 2016

This chapter explains that the book was written in 2016 during a very contentious presidential election. Racism was part of the discussion about the campaigns. This chapter gives examples of racism in past elections and claims that the framework of understanding racism presented in the book is helpful in understanding the use of

Is President Trump a racist? The question presents an opportunity to reflect on racism and how we, as a nation, can overcome racism. A good place to begin is by defining who is a racist. Immediately the contested nature of racism appears. On one point there is very little disagreement. A person who participates in an association based on the belief that white people are superior to people of color is a racist. So, members of the KKK are a clear case of racists.

But what about President Trump who doesn’t appear to be a joiner and claims, “I don’t have a racist bone in my body.” Can he still be a racist? Answering this question requires considering what racism and race are.