Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination

“If race is socially constructed and doesn’t exist otherwise, and if human beings don’t have to be afraid of one another, then where does racism come from?...Why would people make it up this way in the first place?” The author poses a very mind boggling question. The history of racism is somewhat of a mystery. We have an understanding of how it became but why it did we are still determining.

Racism appeared with the expansion of capitalism. Capitalism is basically all about money and profit. This money hunger leads to small percentages of individuals that are extremely wealthier than the rest of the population. This, in turn developed different wealth classes. With wealth in some classes comes discrimination amongst the high and low classes. The higher classes mainly consisted of white people and the lower classes were blacks and other immigrant workers, therefore, Whites would discriminate against the other “races”. “Capitalism’s direct connection to white racism has also operated in the acquisition of land and raw materials, which, like cheap labor, play a key role in the rapid growth of industry and wealth.” It was cheaper to make slaves do all the labor because the land owner wouldn’t have to pay them as much or any at all compared to a low paid white person. Even though, they had the same jobs as some immigrants white people always could look in the mirror and say, “hey I’m white, that’s better than any other “race’”. This went on until we had a civil war and slavery in the south was being banned.

Has capitalism taken racism to far into our hearts to the point where there is no ending it? Will wealth prevent the peace the long yearned peace amongst races? Only time will tell. The civil war was the beginning of the end of racism, but like everything there has been people have different views certain topics and there is no changing there mind. You can’t win everyone’s side.

This chapter has given me some insight on how racism started. I knew that wealth had a certain power, but the power to completely start “racism” is beyond belief. Without racism the constitution would be correct in saying that all people are equal, but as long as racism is around there can’t be total equality. Jobs will be given to white males over anyone else. Salaries will be higher for white males. Right now that’s the way life is but maybe in the future incomes will be equal amongst all men, women, and all “races”.