ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the lack of socio-economic and political equality for African Americans raises the issue of politics and socio-political rights. As an ideology, racism aims to deny the contributions of African Americans to American civilization, which neutralizes them politically and reduces their share of the social product. Lack of social and political equality and rights for African Americans raises the issue of politics. Politics is a competition among social actors, groups, or classes over the distribution of the social product, that is, goods and services in a political community. One of the major contributions of African Americans to American civilization was the retention of aspects of African culture. Yet this contribution was denied on the dichotomic grounds that enslaved negroes saw their own culture so inferior and that of their white masters so superior that they gave up their African aboriginal traditions to adopt those of their masters.
