Powerfully synthesizing major currents in the field this book addresses the issue of
inequality across American politics and society using race as a lens for the exploration of
major themes in American history. It considers the concept of race as a social construction
against the background of the historical struggles for fairness in a society based on the
framework of democracy whose principle is that majority's consent be necessary for the
fulfillment of justice.Foregrounding problems of race capital and political economy it
particularly examines the connections between race and class the relationship of slavery and
national politics and the distinctive intellectual framework that Americans have developed to
discuss race.Offering a detailed account of civil rights legislation an overview of
immigration law and policy and comprehensive overviews of debates about affirmative action
immigration and the causes and solutions to racialized urban poverty this book emphasizes
what is distinctive about the United States and offers a unique comparative framework for
thinking about America's racial past.
