The Science of Racism
23 January 2025Synopsis
Polls show that half of us think racism doesn’t exist . . .
'Illuminating, surprising, unnerving, moving . . . and, sadly, utterly necessary' - Sathnam Sanghera, bestselling author of Empireland
In the ground-breaking The Science of Racism Professor Keon West cuts through the divisive anecdotes and rhetoric with decades’ worth of clear, factual, rigorous science – the data that reveals truths about racism that are shocking and tragic, but also (somehow) funny and entertaining.
He explains how we know, for example, that Black people are up to 50 per cent less likely to be called in to interview than identically qualified White people. He shows how we know the financial cost of selling items online while Black. He reveals the effects of racism on our friendships, relationships, healthcare and justice system. And he exposes the continued prevalence of racism, and the inadequacy of our many attempts to address it.
Whatever you’ve read before, this book will ensure that you never see racism in the same way again.
Details
23 January 2025
9781035030668Reviews
It is quite a feat to pull off a densely informative book about a horrible subject that also manages to be charismatic and funny . . . highly readableThe Guardian
Persuasive and precise . . . The Science of Racism is a book that shouldn't have to exist, but I am glad it does . . . The fight is real, and this book is a weaponAdam Rutherford, The Spectator
If you have never encountered any of the arguments around racism enacted by both individuals and systems, this book is, sadly, an urgent place to startFinancial Times
Illuminating, surprising, unnerving, moving . . . and, sadly, utterly necessary for this time in historySathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland
