Racial Capitalism with Robin D. G. Kelley
Juneteenth & Reframing the Emancipation Narrative
From slavery to Jim Crow, from colonial conquest to today's global labor exploitation—racism has always been foundational to capitalism. But what exactly is racial capitalism, and how does it continue to shape our economy and daily lives?
In 2020, I wrote a short piece talking about the way in which racism and capitalism are intertwined. However, diving deeper, I realize that article barely scraped the surface. This week on Art of Citizenry, I sit down with renowned historian Robin D. G. Kelley to unravel how capitalism has always been a racialized and gendered colonial project. Together, we examine how systemic racism is ingrained in economic structures, shaping everything from labor practices and property rights to state power and global migration.
“If the goal is liberation, two things have to go: modern capitalism and systemic racism.”
— Robin D. G. Kelley, Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA
Dr. Kelley makes clear that racial capitalism isn’t just history, it’s the blueprint behind our current economic order. Understanding its roots and mechanisms is critical to any movement seeking genuine liberation and systemic change.
Meet Our Guest
Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley is Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA. His books include Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination and Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression.
Dr. Kelley’s work critically examines race, capitalism, labor, and radical social movements, offering powerful insights on the struggle for collective liberation.
“Race, gender – these are not incidental or accidental features of capitalism. They are foundational, not just to the U.S., but to global capitalism.”
— Robin D. G. Kelley, Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA
Changing the Narrative
🔍 In this deeply insightful conversation, we examine:
how race and gender hierarchies have historically been used to justify exploitation
the role of slavery in shaping modern labor systems
Juneteenth and the reality of emancipation in the U.S., reframing the history we’ve been taught
Jim Crow as a response to interracial labor movements
ongoing impacts of colonialism on labor practices and immigration policy today
the importance of solidarity in dismantling systems of oppression
“The broader struggle of emancipation isn't just about Black people freeing themselves, but freeing the nation.”
— Robin D. G. Kelley, Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA
Juneteenth & Reframing the Emancipation Narrative
On June 19th, 1865, two and half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union forces arrived in Galveston, Texas declaring freedom to enslaved people. Widely considered a symbolic end to slavery in the United States, this dominant narrative flattens a reality overlooked in history.
The Emancipation Proclamation itself excluded some 450,000 enslaved people. It specifically targeted enslaved people in Confederate states that were in rebellion against the Union, leaving out those in border states and Union-occupied territories. The emancipation proclamation was primarily a wartime tactic. Understanding the significance of Juneteenth today requires examining how the exploitative structures of slavery laid the groundwork for our modern labor systems. For more about Juneteenth, listen to his episode on the Majority Report.
Marxist Surrealist Feminism: Imagining True Liberation
Robin D.G. Kelley identifies as a Marxist Surrealist Feminist, a framework deeply rooted in radical imagination, intersectionality, and collective liberation. Marxist Surrealist Feminism emphasizes the importance of envisioning a world beyond the oppressive boundaries of current social, economic, and political systems. By harnessing creativity and imagination, this movement advocates for revolutionary transformation, not just reform. It calls for a liberated future that defies traditional structures of capitalism, patriarchy, racism, and colonialism, seeking a society where freedom is not constrained by exploitation or domination.
Understanding this movement helps us see beyond mere critiques of existing systems, it empowers us to actively dream and build the radically equitable world we need.
📚 Recommendations in this Episode
Black Reconstruction – W.E.B. Du Bois
Hammer and Hoe – Robin D.G. Kelley
Freedom Dreams – Robin D.G. Kelley
Black Marxism – Cedric Robinson
Forgeries of Memory and Meaning – Cedric Robinson
👉🏽 Worker-Led Movements Mentioned in this Episode: United Here; We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); National Nurses United; United All Workers for Democracy; Southern Worker Power; Black Workers for Justice
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