In his 2014 Annual Lecture, “The Problem of Racism in “Post-Racial” America,” Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva discusses how discourse around race and racism had changed in the preceding years. Looking back at this lecture from our current vantage point, given the Trump presidency and his continued influence over the country, we can see new perspectives and fallacies in the idea that racism is an issue that exists only in the past.

Section I: Systemic Racism and Sociological Theory begins with a chapter by Hoda Mahmoudi titled “The Past in the Present: Slavery’s Long Shadow.” It has been over 150 years since slavery was outlawed in the United States, yet we still deal with racism as a society. Discrimination against non-white populations is extremely prevalent, yet each group faces prejudice that takes on nuanced differences and forms. The discrimination against African American people in America is unique, and a major factor is the long history of race-based chattel slavery and its deep-rooted integration into the foundational documents, ideals, and structure of this country.