The Persistence of Racism in America

This work explains the patterns of beliefs, attitudes, and values which have supported racist views in America. Myrdal's famous thesis is that there is an "ever-raging conflict" in the hearts of Americans, between an "American Creed" and "Christian precepts" on one hand, and irrational ignorant prejudices on the other. But racism is not just an aberration or a contradiction of basic American values. On the contrary, racist beliefs are shown to be tightly bound up with America's firmest traditional assumptions and most cherished convictions about itself. This book explains American society, and concludes with an analysis of individualism in relation to racism, and an assessment of what may be expected with regard to racism in America.