ABSTRACT
This paper examines how neoliberal multiculturalism and racialized emotions function to inhibit racial justice in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. To do so, I trace how the proliferation of the discourse of anti-racism in education alongside the rise in popularity of anti-racist books, contributes to a racial project that embraces critical language but fails to enact tangible forms of racial equity. Drawing from the connections between 1960s race novels and modern anti-racist books, I argue that the notion of ‘feeling anti-racism’ becomes a conduit for neoliberal multiculturalism which effectively constructs race liberal subjectivities and dispositions. As a result, anti-racist books function to produce racialized emotions that legitimize anti-racist feelings over anti-racist actions.
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Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).