The World's Best Book Summaries
What is colorism and what are some colorism examples? How do racism and colorism interact? For many people and cultures, light skin is considered better than dark skin. So, what is colorism? It is a type of skin-based discrimination and is related to racism because it builds on the perception that White people are better. Read on for the answer to the question, “what is colorism?”
When did Jean-Bertrand Aristide become the president of Haiti? How long did his presidency last and why did it end? Jean-Bertrand Aristide was a Catholic priest and the ousted president of Haiti. In October 1994, Aristide was reinstated as president with the help of a medical doctor and anthropologist Paul Farmer. Read more about Jean-Bertrand Aristide, including his political rise, fall, and second coming to power.
Who was Gomes de Zurara? How did Zurara contribute to the invention of race as a concept? Gomes de Zurara was a biographer from the fifteenth century. In writing a biography of Prince Henry the Navigator, Zurara was the first to propose terminology relating to the hierarchy of difference races. Keep reading for more about Zurara and how the notion of an African race did not exist before his work.
What is biological racism? How does it use biology and genetics to rationalize the superiority of one race over another? Biological racism is the idea that one race is better than another because of the biology of that race. But How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi notes that there are no biological or genetic differences between races. Keep reading to understand biological racism, how it started, and Ibram X. Kendi’s experiences with it.
What was the Blue Vein Society? How did the Society and the one drop of blood rule demonstrate colorism in the 19th century? The Blue Vein Society was a type of organization that aimed to identify who was “white enough” to be considered white. If your skin was so dark you couldn’t see blue veins through it, you were not considered white. Read on to learn more about colorism with the Blue Vein Society and the one drop of blood rule.
Who is Tracy Kidder and how did he meet Paul Farmer? Why did he want to learn about Farmer’s life? Tracy Kidder was embedded with US Army officials during a political intervention in Haiti: the US was attempting to restore Haiti’s leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power, after he had been removed by the military junta. Read on to learn about Tracy Kidder and Paul Farmer.
Who was Garrison Frazier? How did the Black leader end up seeming to request segregation for Black people? Garrison Frazier was consulted in 1865 by US leaders when they asked him if Black people would prefer to live apart from White people. He said yes, and they provided his people with land and a mule, but that was it. Read more about space racism, Garrison Frazier, and the difference between separation and segregation.
What is uplift suasion? Why is this strategy for addressing racism problematic? Uplift suasion is the idea that White people won’t be racist if Black people just show them how good they are. Of course, this validates racist ideas and puts the pressure on Black people prove them wrong. Read more about uplift suasion and why it doesn’t work.
What was the fourth industrial revolution? What technologies were created that made this industrial revolution possible? The fourth industrial revolution was the oil, automobile, and mass production revolution. These new technologies were responsible for the fourth industrial revolution and the economic development that followed. Read more about the fourth industrial revolution and the technologies that made it possible.
What was the first industrial revolution? What happened during the first industrial revolution and what technologies created change? The first industrial revolution is considered to be when the first machinery was invented that allowed work to be mechanized. It is also when there was the introduction of the iron industry. Read more about the technologies and events that lead to the first industrial revolution.