Metaracism

How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—and How We Break Free

By: Tricia Rose

Narrated by: Mela Lee, Tricia Rose

The definitive book on how systemic racism in America really works, revealing the vast and often hidden network of interconnected policies, practices, and beliefs that combine to devastate Black lives

In recent years, condemnations of racism in America have echoed from the streets to corporate boardrooms. At the same time, politicians and commentators fiercely debate racism’s very existence. And so, our conversations about racial inequalities remain muddled.

In Metaracism, pioneering scholar Tricia Rose cuts through the noise with a bracing and invaluable new account of what systemic racism actually is, how it works, and how we can fight back. She reveals how—from housing to education to criminal justice—an array of policies and practices connect and interact to produce an even more devastating “metaracism” far worse than the sum of its parts. While these systemic connections can be difficult to see—and are often portrayed as “color-blind”—again and again they function to disproportionately contain, exploit, and punish Black people.

By helping us to comprehend systemic racism’s inner workings and destructive impacts, Metaracism shows us also how to break free—and how to create a more just America for us all.

©2024 Tricia Rose (P)2024 Basic Books

Critic reviews

“Throughout this trenchant book, Rose’s analysis is rigorous, insightful, and lucid, and her language glimmers with lyrical clarity…A brilliant guide to a systemic malady that cannot be denied.”—Kirkus (starred review)

"“Marshalling extensive evidence into a lucid and powerful narrative, Rose provides an essential new look at American inequality. Even readers well versed in the topic will have their eyes opened by this cogent analysis.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"“Rose is one of our most dynamic and thoughtful public intellectuals today, and in her new book, Metaracism, she gives us the gift of sight. At a time when terms like ‘structural racism’ and ‘systemic racism’ are tossed around in the political fires with little rigor or reflection, Metaracism provides a much-needed primer on the real-world meaning of the problem. From housing to education, economic inequality to the criminal justice system, Rose invites us to see that the roots of racism run deep and are pervasive in the traumatic suffering we have witnessed in our time—of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Kelley Williams-Bolar, and so many others. We must not only say their names. We must be able to name the reasons why. In this critical text, Rose helps us to do just that.”—Henry Louis Gates Jr., New York Times–bestselling author of Stony the Road

Outstanding!!!!

I must admit that I’m a Tricia Rose fan. After watching all of her interviews and reading all of her books, I absolutely couldn’t wait for Metaracism to drop. And as usual, she did not disappoint. Simply a unique & effective approach & telling, in the ways of racism. And the performance was flawless. I’ll give it a few weeks, before I listen again.

Glad I got to this one

A friend recommended this book, and I'm so glad I got the chance to listen to it when I had some downtime. It is hard to stop after starting. I ended up binging the whole book in one sitting at 1.3 speed. The author provides an excellent master class on systemic racism. She illustrates how our social system sneakily guarantees racial disparity through innumerable examples and invisible threads. The narration was on point as well. I will be recommending it to others!

great approach

I appreciated the use of systems thinking to accurately describe a difficult subject in a way all can understand r stand.