More Beautiful and More Terrible: The Embrace and Transcendence of Racial Inequality in the United States

Imani Perry

Feb 2011 · NYU Press

About this ebook

Perry argues that racism in America has moved into a new phase--post-intentional

For a nation that often optimistically claims to be post-racial, we are still mired in the practices of racial inequality that plays out in law, policy, and in our local communities. One of two explanations is often given for this persistent phenomenon: On the one hand, we might be hypocritical—saying one thing, and doing or believing another; on the other, it might have little to do with us individually but rather be inherent to the structure of American society.

More Beautiful and More Terrible compels us to think beyond this insufficient dichotomy in order to see how racial inequality is perpetuated. Imani Perry asserts that the U.S. is in a new and distinct phase of racism that is “post-intentional”: neither based on the intentional discrimination of the past, nor drawing upon biological concepts of race. Drawing upon the insights and tools of critical race theory, social policy, law, sociology and cultural studies, she demonstrates how post-intentional racism works and maintains that it cannot be addressed solely through the kinds of structural solutions of the Left or the values arguments of the Right. Rather, the author identifies a place in the middle—a space of “righteous hope”—and articulates a notion of ethics and human agency that will allow us to expand and amplify that hope.

To paraphrase James Baldwin, when talking about race, it is both more terrible than most think, but also more beautiful than most can imagine, with limitless and open-ended possibility. Perry leads readers down the path of imagining the possible and points to the way forward.

Ratings and reviews

Odd I felt this b4 her book..... Witnessed, experienced, sadden, emotional, high blood pressure peaked, & more. The time I turned age 6 to all yrs. to date how brown skins, our lives, are going backwards. Though little climb up already; a Racist society in control still allowed specifically to keep supprssing humans. Many say success, but for a select few out of a population of millions of BROWN skins. The children included. Always power approval, to rule over another human in the USA. No rights to equality. Huge # of BROWNS went Down like BALLOONS. NOW AT A STAGE OF DROWNED AGAIN. EXCEPT FOR BROWNS FAMOUS, WEALTHY.BROWN FACES GAVE & GIVING UP. NO HOPE, FEARS. KIDS.I'M Stopping here. ANGRIER THAN EVER. I AGREE MUCH HER STATEMENTS. OUR CREATOR OF ALL 1 RACE VARIOUS ETHNICITIES, CULTURES. BROWNS STILL WEAK VICTIMS. USA 🇺🇸???

About the author

Imani Perry is Professor at the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University. She holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization and a J.D. both from Harvard and is the author of Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop.