Racism Without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America

Identify Bonilla-Silva’s main thesis. How would you support or challenge it?

Who is the intended audience for this book? What is their race? Age? Gender? Geographic location? How do you know?

What are some aspects of culture not described by Bonilla-Silva that show examples of color-blind racism? For example, you might think of sports, music, or a film. How does color-blind racism manifest itself in your example?

Bonilla-Silva notes that certain white liberals might argue that racism is only the type shown by Trump supporters who use overtly racist language and express overtly racist beliefs. Why does Bonilla-Silva say such thoughts are misguided? Do you agree?

Much of Racism Without Racists is designed to be confrontational. Bonilla-Silva addresses white readers directly and asks them to change their lives. How effective was his call-to-arms-style message to you as a reader, regardless of your own racial identity? What made it effective or ineffective?

Bonilla-Silva identifies an ideology as the “collective manifestations” of a “group’s position” and notes that “ideology becomes material force” and, thus, consequential (62). Do you agree that ideology has a way of becoming real or affecting reality? What is an ideology you ascribe to that has or does not have this power?

Do you find Bonilla-Silva’s vision for the future idealistic or realistic? Why?

In your own life, would you say you are mostly segregated from members of other races? Why or why not? Does your answer depend on the tropes of color-blind racism?