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Despite a mainstream belief in the declining significance of race, claims regarding racism continue to play an important role in U.S. racial politics. Indeed, it could be argued that the discussion of the nature of racism and what constitutes racism takes on even more importance as a political question than as an academic issue. Given the discrediting of classical racism, charges of institutional racism or that an individual is a racist carry an extremely negative valuation and become a serious matter for all concerned. In recent years, U.S. society experienced a series of "racial events" that triggered extensive national discussions of issues of race and racism. Examples of this include comments by entertainers and public figures such as Michael Richards and Don Imus, the debate regarding allegations (all charges were eventually dropped) that white members of the Duke University lacrosse team raped a black woman, and the claim that the government response to Hurricane Katrina would have been faster had the victims in New Orleans been white. In each case, charges of racism produced an intense debate between those who adopt a color-blind perspective and those who believe in the continuing significance of racism in the United States.

Once a claim of racism is made, it generally initiates a debate regarding whether or not the act was racist and a series of counterclaims regarding the initial accusation. One common response is denial; that is, the assertion that race had no bearing on the actions or policies in question. A second reaction is minimization, either by stating that any offense or harm was unintentional or to suggest that those claiming injury are oversensitive or "always bring race in" to the discussion. Countercharges are also a frequent tactic, including the allegation that the claim of racism constitutes "name-calling" or the suggestion that the individual or group making the claim is "playing the race card" for personal or organizational gain. On a more general level, advocates of color-blind racial ideology have claimed that racial categories are a form of racism and have even proposed legislation, such as the unsuccessful Proposition 54 in California to ban the collection of racial data by government agencies. Another general claim is that the problem of racism would be minimal if advocates would stop making claims about racism and racial inequality in the United States. Given trends in the recent past, it is likely that U.S. society will continue to experience a series of racial events and debates between those who minimize the role of race and those who make claims about the persistence of institutional racism.

Bibliography:

1) Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2006. Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

2) Doane, Ashley W. 2007. "The Changing Politics of Color-Blind Racism." Research in Race and Ethnic Relations 14:181-97.

3) Feagin, Joe R. and Karyn D. McKinney. 2003. The Many Costs of Racism. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

4) Gossett, Thomas F. 1997. Race: The History of an Idea in America. New ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

5) Omi, Michael and Howard M. Winant. 1994. Racial Formation in the United States. 2nd ed. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

6) Wilson, William J. 1978. The Declining Significance of Race. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

7) Yancey, George. 2003. Who Is White? Latinos, Asians, and the New Black/Nonblack Divide. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner.

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