Downstream: What Have We Got Wrong About Antiracism? w/ Arun Kundnani

After the summer of 2020, the liberal consensus was that in order to tackle racism, white people would have to look inside themselves and ‘do the work’. In 2023, this idea has spread from well-meaning allies on Twitter to the HR departments of corporate behemoths – all while the institutions that consolidate and expand systemic racism go largely unchecked. It’s almost as if the liberal answer to racism actively distracts from doing any real good.

To discuss the evolution of antiracism, Aaron is joined by writer Arun Kundnani, author of What is Antiracism: and Why it Means Anticapitalism. They talk about the linguistic roots of racism, the misunderstood legacy of Enoch Powell, and the challenges of bringing white people into a coalition against racism.