ABSTRACT
This 2019 article is written in the form of an interview between Educational Philosophy and Theory Editor-in-Chief Michael A. Peters with George Yancy, a Professor of Philosophy at Emory University and one of the leading American scholars on critical philosophy of race and whiteness studies. In the article, Peters discusses with Yancy his recent infamy in relation to his publications on race and whiteness in the United States (including a 2015 essay, ‘Dear White America’ and a 2018 book, Backlash: What Happens When We Talk Honestly About Racism in America); how he defines and understands race and racism in theory and reality; and the historical and ongoing challenges with discussing race broadly in society. The essay highlights concern with being able to communicate and express concerns about race and racism as a scholar, as well as challenges with joining academia and becoming a professor in the largely white field of philosophy, within a white supremacist society. In relation, Yancy addresses his own personal struggles against racism throughout his career as a case in point. The interview also connects race to a variety of problematic circumstances in the society more broadly, such as the election and fanfare around Donald Trump, and the viciousness of anti-Black backlash experienced by people of color throughout American history. This interview provides a dynamic dialogue about race in 2019 and the challenges faced by scholars of color as well as those courageous enough to fight against ongoing anti-Black rhetoric and violence.
