Woke Racism

How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America

By: John McWhorter

Narrated by: John McWhorter

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

People of good will on both the left and the right are secretly asking themselves the same question: how has the conversation on race gone so crazy?

Bestselling author and acclaimed linguist John McWhorter argues that an illiberal neoracism, disguised as antiracism, is hurting black communities and weakening the social fabric.

We're told to read books and listen to music by people of colour but that wearing certain clothes is 'appropriation.' We hear that being white automatically gives you privilege and that being black makes you a victim. We want to speak up but fear we'll be seen as unwoke, or worse, labelled a racist. According to John McWhorter, the problem is that a well-meaning but pernicious form of antiracism has become, not a progressive ideology, but a religion - and one that's illogical, unreachable, and unintentionally neoracist.

In Woke Racism, McWhorter reveals the workings of this new religion, from the original sin of 'white privilege' and the weaponization of cancel culture to ban heretics, to the evangelical fervour of the 'woke mob.' He shows how this religion that claims to 'dismantle racist structures' is actually harming his fellow black Americans by infantilizing black people, setting black students up for failure, and passing policies that disproportionately damage black communities. The new religion might be called 'antiracism,' but it features a racial essentialism that's barely distinguishable from racist arguments of the past.

Fortunately, for all of us, it's not too late to push back against woke racism. McWhorter shares scripts and encouragement with those trying to deprogramme friends and family. And most importantly, he offers a roadmap to justice that actually will help, not hurt, black people.

A New York Times Bestseller

©2022 John McWhorter (P)2022 Faber & Faber

A thoughtful, pragmatic perspective

McWhorter doesn't disappoint with his thoughtful, pragmatic perspective on the dynamics of race relations in America today. He makes a variety of astute observations and developed arguments that pinpoint with precision some of the more problematic elements of the "Elect" religion, both for Black people and society at large. I only wish that it had been slightly longer, including a more developed final chapter.

Heterodoxy v Orthodoxy

As a listener of the Glenn Laury Show with John McWhorter, I was already familiar with the basic gist of John's thesis. The book expands greatly on his ideas with clear examples that will, if you are honest and able to set aside any preconceptions and biases, ask you to look at the post summer 2020 events with fresh eyes.

John reads the text with his usual brand of humor and eloquence, with just the right pinch of academic snobbery. It is entertaining as a result, so the entire listen is hard to "put down," as it were.

It's an important book for those of us with a liberal lean who have noticed something isn't quite right with the narrative. John, along with numerous other Black intellectuals, are brave enough to speak out against that narrative to show that there are different viewpoints. No people is a monolithic group, and true diversity means opening oneself to uncomfortable heterodoxies that question our worldview.

I recommend Woke Racism. It's an important addition to the conversation.

Cancel Culture as Religion

John McWhorter's clear-headed, fact-based assessment of "woke" culture as a religion articulated exactly how I feel about it. Everyone should read this book and assess whether they are a clear-headed, fact-based thinker or whether they have simply joined a cult.

Woke Racism

Finally, someone speaks out against this absurdity! Most of us are against racism and have been for quite sometime. Let’s concentrate on how far we’ve gone instead of the opposite from people who just love to be angry . Those people are trying to control us through anger. It’s ridiculous and we just have to say no.

I’m not as “woke” as I thought.

I consider myself as far left of center as one can get before becoming “far-left”. I’m also a Black man and an atheist so the title made me curious, wondering how the author would connect anti-racism to a new religion. A lot of his points landed. While I don’t agree with everything he posited, he does clearly illustrate how ridiculous some woke ideology is in the same way a lot of religious dogma.

This author’s simply brilliant use of language

Mr. McWhorter never fails to impress and present both humorous and deadly precise use of our language. I find myself constantly muttering to him out loud - “Yes, you’re absolutely right” and then usually directly thereafter - “I love this guy.” You must just listen, and then you’ll want to listen again - just for the sheer beauty of his word choices. I love this guy and want to shake his hand…