Introduction: “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
“Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum first appeared in Studies in Philosophy and Education in 2002. In this seminal work, Blum confronts the increasing conceptual inflation and moral overload of the terms “racist” and “racism,” arguing that their overuse hampers productive interracial dialogue and clear moral understanding. The article is most recognized for its proposal of two core and historically grounded forms of racism: inferiorizing racism (treating a racial group as inferior) and antipathy racism (harboring hostility or animus toward a racial group). Blum advocates for a broader and more nuanced moral vocabulary—including terms like racial insensitivity, racial ignorance, and racial discomfort—to better capture the range of racial ills that, while objectionable, do not meet the threshold of racism. The article gained popularity for its philosophical rigor, practical relevance, and its potential to reduce miscommunication and defensiveness in discussions of race. Its influence is partly due to its ability to bridge moral philosophy with real-world interracial dynamics, making it an enduring contribution to racial discourse.
Summary of “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
⚖️ Conceptual Inflation of “Racism“
- Blum argues that the term “racism” is overused, leading to conceptual inflation and moral overload, diluting its significance.
“The words ‘racist’ and ‘racism’ have become so overused that they now constitute obstacles to understanding and interracial dialogue” (Blum, 2002, p. 203).
- This overuse makes people label any race-related issue as ‘racist’, limiting nuance in discussions and causing defensiveness.
“Anything involving ‘race’ that someone does not like is liable to castigation as ‘racist’” (p. 206).
🧠 The Need for a Nuanced Moral Vocabulary
- Blum promotes using a broader range of moral terms like racial ignorance, racial discomfort, racial insensitivity, etc., instead of over-relying on the word “racist.”
“We should recognize a much broader moral vocabulary for characterizing racial ills” (p. 203).
📜 Historical Roots of Racism
- He identifies two core types of racism, grounded in historical contexts:
- Antipathy Racism: Racial hatred or hostility.
- Inferiorizing Racism: Treating a group as inherently inferior.
“All forms of racism can be related to either of two general ‘themes’ – inferiorization, and antipathy” (p. 210).
😬 Racial Anxiety vs. Racism
- Racial anxiety is not racism but a widespread, morally problematic phenomenon.
“Racial anxiety or discomfort is not, in itself, racist… Yet it is still a bad thing, destructive to interracial relationships” (p. 214).
- Example: Ms. Verano, a white teacher, is uncomfortable around Black parents—not out of racism, but due to ignorance and unfamiliarity (p. 213).
🧍♂️ Racist Actions ≠ Racist People
- A racist joke does not necessarily mean the person is a racist. The moral focus must consider intent, context, and effect.
“A person who tells a racist joke is not necessarily ‘a racist’… The joke is racist, but the teller of the joke is not” (p. 209).
- Blum stresses the importance of locating racism correctly: Is it the act, person, motive, or stereotype that is racist? (p. 209)
📺 Stereotypes: Not Always Racist, But Still Harmful
- Not all racial stereotypes are racist, even if offensive or historically problematic.
- E.g., “Blacks as good dancers” is racial, but not necessarily racist—yet it has historical baggage (p. 212).
“It is moral overload to call them racist stereotypes, and to do so contributes to a cheapening of the moral force of the idea of ‘racism’” (p. 212).
🚔 Racial Profiling and Institutional Failures
- Blum cites the killing of Officer Cornel Young Jr. as a tragic example of how racial stereotypes—not explicit racial hatred—can still cause fatal outcomes.
“It was in the stereotype, not in the motives of the white officers… Racist stereotypes… can be life threatening” (p. 217).
🧍♀️ Homogenization and Misrecognition
- Teachers and institutions often reduce individuals to racial representatives, ignoring ethnic, personal, and cultural uniqueness.
“He has failed to recognize Haitian-Americans as a distinct ethnic group… He has failed to recognize the student as an individual” (p. 215).
🗣️ Impaired Interracial Communication
- Many people avoid racial discussions due to fear of offense, being labeled racist, or appearing ignorant. This hinders honest interracial dialogue.
“Few people wish to be, or to be thought of as, ‘racists’” (p. 204).
✅ Defining Racism to Preserve Its Moral Weight
- Blum recommends we limit the term “racism” to acts involving antipathy or inferiorization, and use other terms for less severe racial ills.
“Fixing on such a definition should encourage us to make use of… other resources our language affords us for describing and evaluating race-related ills” (p. 209).
Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
| Concept/Term | Definition / Description |
| Racism | A serious moral wrong involving either racial antipathy (hostility) or inferiorization (treating others as lesser); best reserved for severe cases tied to historical patterns like slavery, apartheid, or Nazism. |
| Antipathy Racism | Involves strong dislike, hatred, or hostility towards members of a racial group. Exemplified by racial bigotry or hate crimes. |
| Inferiorizing Racism | Treating a racial group as inherently inferior in value, intelligence, or humanity. May include paternalistic attitudes. |
| Conceptual Inflation | The overextension of the term “racism” to cover all racial ills, thus diluting its meaning and moral force. |
| Moral Overload | Using “racism” as a catch-all moral condemnation, making it harder to distinguish between varying degrees of racial wrongdoing. |
| Racial Insensitivity | Behavior or speech that fails to account for racial context or history, often unintentionally hurtful. Not always “racist.” |
| Racial Ignorance | Lack of knowledge or awareness about racial issues, cultures, or experiences. Often culpable but not necessarily racist. |
| Racial Discomfort / Anxiety | A form of unease or nervousness in interactions across racial lines. Not motivated by hatred, but can still cause harm. |
| Racial Stereotype | Oversimplified generalizations about racial groups. Some are racist (e.g., intellectual inferiority), while others are merely objectionable (e.g., “good dancers”). |
| Racist Joke | A joke that expresses or relies on racist ideas or stereotypes. The joke can be racist even if the speaker is not. |
| Racial Homogenization | Treating all members of a racial group as the same—ignoring individuality and intra-group diversity. |
| Racial Profiling | Associating race with criminality or danger. Can lead to deadly consequences even without racist intent, as in the Cornel Young Jr. case. |
| Locational Confusion of Racism | Misunderstanding where racism lies: Is it in the act, the person, the motive, or the institution? Clarifying this “location” helps moral reasoning. |
Contribution of “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum to Literary Theory/Theories
🔍 1. Critical Race Theory (CRT)
- Clarifies conceptual distinctions often blurred in CRT, such as systemic racism vs. individual prejudice.
Blum emphasizes that “not all racially objectionable actions are done from a racist motive” (Blum, 2002, p. 203).
- Expands CRT’s toolkit by offering a wider moral vocabulary to interpret race-related actions beyond racism:
“We should recognize a much broader moral vocabulary for characterizing racial ills – racial insensitivity, racial ignorance, racial injustice, racial discomfort, racial exclusion” (p. 203).
- Foregrounds the psychological costs of racism and racial anxiety—adding depth to CRT’s emphasis on the lived experience of race.
🗣️ 2. Discourse Analysis / Language and Power Theory (Foucault, Fairclough)
- Offers a semantic critique of the word racism, analyzing its use as a moral weapon in public discourse.
“‘Racist’ has become the standard way to condemn… people, actions, policies, symbols, and institutions for malfeasance in the racial domain” (p. 205).
- Contributes to the study of moral language and performativity, akin to Foucault’s notions of power-laden discourse, by revealing how “racist” shapes identity, blame, and shame.
🧠 3. Moral Philosophy and Ethical Criticism
- Bridges literary ethics with racial discourse by distinguishing degrees of moral wrongness, urging more precise ethical evaluation in narratives.
“We should not be faced with the choice of ‘racism or nothing’” (p. 207).
- Encourages readers to assess characters, texts, and authors not only through the binary lens of “racist/not racist,” but through nuanced ethical lenses like racial insensitivity or ignorance.
🎭 4. Reader-Response Theory / Reception Theory
- Challenges audience perception by explaining how terms like “racism” may shut down interpretation or dialogue due to fear of accusation or misunderstanding.
“Fear of being thought racist… is a potent formula for inhibition regarding discussing racial matters” (p. 204).
- This aligns with Reader-Response emphasis on reader identity, positionality, and how emotional triggers affect interpretive freedom and openness.
📏 5. Structuralism / Post-Structuralism
- Identifies how overextension of categories leads to semantic instability, a post-structuralist insight.
“Some feel that the word is thrown around so much… that it has lost all significant meaning” (p. 206).
- Echoes Derridean themes of binary collapse (e.g., racist vs. non-racist) and how such simplifications destabilize moral clarity.
🏛️ 6. Cultural Studies / Identity Theory
- Contributes to debates on race, identity, and cultural recognition, particularly in educational and institutional settings.
A Haitian-American girl being asked to speak for “the black point of view” reveals racial homogenization and denial of individual and ethnic identity (p. 215).
- Supports Stuart Hall’s arguments on race as a social construction by advocating for racial designations over essentialist notions of race (p. 206).
📚 7. Pedagogical Theory and Multicultural Education
- Offers practical insights for teachers and scholars navigating racially diverse classrooms.
“Teachers cannot serve their students fully unless they are aware of the full range of factors affecting their lives, and race is very likely to be one of those factors” (p. 204).
Examples of Critiques Through “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
| Literary Work / Author | Critique Using Blum’s Concepts |
| To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee | Atticus Finch’s actions demonstrate racial sensitivity but also racial discomfort and avoidance of deeper critique of white supremacy. He is not overtly racist, but his position reflects Blum’s idea of racial discomfort and insensitivity (Blum, 2002, p. 213). |
| Othello – William Shakespeare | Othello experiences inferiorizing racism through Iago and others. Their behavior reflects antipathy racism—motivated by hostility rather than structural critique (Blum, pp. 210–211). |
| Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad | While often debated as racist, the portrayal of Africans may reflect racial homogenization and stereotyping more than direct antipathy. Blum’s framework shows how such portrayals are morally objectionable without always being “racist” (Blum, p. 212). |
| Native Son – Richard Wright | The novel critiques structural inferiorization of Black Americans. Blum’s theory clarifies that the focus is on inferiorizing racism rather than individual prejudice (Blum, p. 211). |
| The Merchant of Venice – William Shakespeare | Shylock is subjected to religious and cultural stereotyping, not strictly racial. Labeling it racism may be conceptual inflation (Blum, p. 206), a misuse of the term that oversimplifies the ethical issues. |
| Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe | Though sympathetic, the novel portrays Black characters in paternalistic and inferiorized roles. Blum’s concept of inferiorizing racism helps critique this moral positioning (Blum, p. 211). |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain | Contains racist language and stereotypes, but applying Blum, the focus shifts to locational confusion: Is the racism in the narrator, the characters, or societal norms? (Blum, p. 209). |
Criticism Against “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
🔍 Criticisms of Blum’s Argument
- 🔺 Risk of Minimizing Harm
By emphasizing that many racially problematic behaviors are not racist but rather “insensitive” or “ignorant,” Blum may unintentionally minimize the impact these actions have on marginalized communities. Critics argue that this risks de-centering victims in favor of protecting the moral identity of perpetrators.
- ⚖️ Overemphasis on Intent vs. Impact
Blum often distinguishes between racist intent and racist outcome. However, critics (especially from Critical Race Theory) argue that impact matters more than intent, and focusing on motive can obscure systemic racism that operates independently of individual intention.
- 🧩 Too Philosophically Abstract
Blum’s distinctions, though philosophically precise, can feel detached from real-world racial dynamics. Critics may argue that his approach prioritizes semantic clarity over lived experience, which could hinder actionable anti-racist work.
- 🧠 Risks Reinforcing White Comfort
Some argue that Blum’s call to restrict the term “racism” to only the most severe forms might comfort white individuals by avoiding the label altogether—even when their actions cause racial harm.
- 📉 Dilution of Structural Analysis
Critics from sociological and political perspectives might argue that Blum’s focus on moral language and interpersonal dynamics may undermine the structural and institutional dimensions of racism, such as policies, economic systems, and colonial legacies.
- 📚 Limited Engagement with Intersectionality
Blum’s analysis doesn’t fully address intersections of race with gender, class, sexuality, or disability. For example, how racial insensitivity operates differently for Black women vs. Black men is left unexplored.
- 🌍 Cultural and Historical Specificity
While Blum’s framework is deeply rooted in U.S. racial history, it may not translate well to non-Western contexts, where racism may operate through different historical, cultural, or linguistic pathways.
- 🔄 Terminological Overload?
While trying to avoid “conceptual inflation” of racism, Blum introduces many overlapping terms (e.g., racial discomfort, racial insensitivity, racial ignorance). Critics might say this creates its own kind of complexity, potentially confusing lay readers.
Representative Quotations from “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum with Explanation
| Quotation | Explanation |
| “The words ‘racist’ and ‘racism’ have become so overused that they now constitute obstacles to understanding and interracial dialogue about racial matters.” | Blum critiques the inflation of the term “racism,” arguing that its overuse impedes honest racial dialogue and creates unnecessary defensiveness. |
| “We should recognize a much broader moral vocabulary for characterizing racial ills—racial insensitivity, racial ignorance, racial injustice, racial discomfort, racial exclusion.” | He calls for a more nuanced set of terms to describe racial issues, instead of labeling every issue as “racism.” |
| “Clarifying meanings is the professional task of the philosopher.” | As a philosopher, Blum frames his role as providing clarity in moral and conceptual debates—especially in discussions around race. |
| “Not all racial incidents are racist incidents.” | He emphasizes that not every racial misstep is an act of racism; this distinction allows for fairer judgment and conversation. |
| “Racism refers to racial inferiorization or racial antipathy.” | Blum defines racism through two key components: treating racial groups as inferior or harboring hostile attitudes toward them. |
| “It is bad to tell a racist joke, whether one means to offend, or holds racist attitudes, or not.” | He asserts that intent does not absolve responsibility—racist jokes remain morally wrong regardless of motivation. |
| “A person who tells a racist joke is not necessarily ‘a racist.’” | Blum draws a distinction between isolated racist actions and being a racist person, challenging the binary view. |
| “Racial anxiety is not morally bad like racial prejudice, but it is still a bad thing.” | He identifies racial discomfort as non-racist yet socially harmful, especially in professional and educational contexts. |
| “The stereotype of blacks as good dancers is not racist, but it is objectionable.” | This quote highlights how even positive racial stereotypes are problematic due to generalization and historical baggage. |
| “There is a much larger terrain of moral ills in the racial domain than racism itself.” | Blum’s concluding insight broadens the discussion, encouraging moral concern for all race-related injustices, not just racism. |
Suggested Readings: “Racism: What It Is And What It Isn’t” by Lawrence Blum
- Blum, Lawrence. “Racism: What it is and what it isn’t.” Studies in Philosophy and Education 21.3 (2002): 203-218.
- Martin, Adam. “The New Egalitarianism.” The Independent Review, vol. 22, no. 1, 2017, pp. 15–25. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26314752. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
- Ikuenobe, Polycarp. “The Practical and Experiential Reality of Racism: Carter’s and Corlett’s Realism About Race and Racism.” Journal of African American Studies, vol. 22, no. 4, 2018, pp. 373–92. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/45200269. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
- Basu, Rima. “The Wrongs of Racist Beliefs.” Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition, vol. 176, no. 9, 2019, pp. 2497–515. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/45211663. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
