Not So Black and White

"Selected as one of the 'Books to Read in 2023' in the 'Financial Times' and 'The Irish Times' Selected as one of the 'Best Books of 2023 So Far' in the 'New Statesman' A 'Counterfire Book' of the Year 2022 'The esteemed theorist on multiculturalism and race offers a longer- run perspective on contemporary race debates in an antidote to the muddiness of the ""culture wars"".' * Financial Times * 'Malik makes a strong case for reviving an intellectual movement that concentrates on the hard work of reducing inequality rather than indulging in the gesture politics of the new generation of radicals.' * The Times * 'Excellent.' -- New Statesman 'A consistent and compelling … masterful history.' -- UnHerd 'A rich account of the history of race ... there is much to recommend in this book as a history of ideas with ongoing relevance for contemporary struggles for equalities and social justice.' -- Morning Star 'Kenan Malik's fascinating new history of race and racism... provide[s] a valuable intervention in an argument that is often both fraught and infested with thought-terminating clichés and sloganeering.' -- Areo 'A thorough and nuanced book.' -- The Equiano Project 'Provides an illuminating history of the idea of race, and systematically outlines the key concepts necessary to understand the development of racial thinking.' -- Spiked '[An] original and ambitious rethinking of the history of the politics of race, from slavery to Black Lives Matter.' -- ArtReview 'A tour-de-force of intellectual history as well as a political polemic and a plea to the left. Malik takes many of his leftist 'confreres' to task for misunderstanding the causes and function of racism and thereby, unwittingly and unintentionally, contributing to the maintenance of an unjust and unequal status quo.' -- The Liberal Patriot 'A precious provocation. Combining valuable historical observations with acute political commentary, Malik unsettles the absurdities, pieties and default settings of contemporary race-talk.' -- Paul Gilroy, author of 'The Black Atlantic' 'A stunning journey through the ideas that have shaped our thinking about race over the years; a magical accomplishment that is at once nuanced and gripping.' -- Remi Adekoya, author of 'Biracial Britain' 'From one of our keenest and clearest guides through the labyrinths of identity, this book fills me with hope. A tour de force of courageous and empathetic common sense.' -- Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of 'Self-Portrait in Black and White' 'A brilliant book on one of the most important issues of our time. Malik writes with great clarity and a profound sense of purpose. If you want to read just one book on modern racism, this is the one.' -- Vivek Chibber, author of 'Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital', and Professor of Sociology, New York University 'This erudite, sensitive book overturns the core assumptions of contemporary identity politics. Highly recommended for all looking beyond the narrow confines of purity politics to embrace the complexities of what it is to be human, and construct a better world.' -- Olufemi Taiwo, author of 'Against Decolonisation' 'Smart, pacy and sharply argued, this is the book you need to read about contemporary politics. Malik delves into the origins of twenty-first-century identity politics, exposes its inherent individualism, and offers thought-provoking progressive alternatives.' -- Selina Todd, author of 'The People: The Rise and Fall of the Working Class' and 'Snakes and Ladders' 'Malik attempts nothing less than to explain why we inhabit racial identity as we do today, and at what political cost. Most serious readers will quarrel with something in his argument, but political culture as a whole will be enriched by this deeply thoughtful, learned and brave work.' -- Wendy Brown, author of 'Nihilistic Times' and 'Regulating Aversion: Tolerance in the Age of Identity and Empire' 'Provides clarity on the origins of popular beliefs and assumptions about contemporary identity politics … Not So Black and White [is] a comprehensive and persuasive guide to thinking of ways in which we can politically organise for better living conditions for the working class on the basis of shared values of liberty, equality and justice, and fight against the oppressive capitalist force of the elite, instead of fighting against each other.' -- The Irish Times ‘[Not So Black and White] is both a history of modern racism from the invention of race in the eighteenth century to the present day, and a powerful argument for universalism and solidarity.’ -- Counterfire"