Racism and ‘Free Speech’
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Description
'Free speech' has become central to discussions about racism, and is increasingly weaponised against anti-racist movements. This book argues that the weaponization of 'free speech' across the political spectrum, particularly by the far-right/alt-right, has been central to the resurgence, rehabilitation and normalisation of racism within the mainstream politics of western liberal democracies in the last decade. The dilemma then, for anti-racist movements, is how to respond to such a challenge - for if 'free speech' allows racism, then it follows that the elimination of racism is not possible.
Anshuman A. Mondal argues that liberalism has made it look as if there is something called 'free speech' when, in fact, speech is enabled by the structures of power within which we are all embedded. These structures determine who gets to say what, and whose voices are heard. They create and sustain racism, and anti-racism should look beyond the mythology of 'free speech' and focus instead on creating expressive regimes that foster racial and social justice by reshaping social discourse and transforming racialized structures of power.
Table of Contents
Preface
A note on form and structure
1 What can you say?
2 Are you kidding me?
3 What the hell is going on?
Part 1 Opening
Part 2 'Free Speech'
The paradoxes of liberty
The rhetorical foundations of liberalism
The trope of infinite and perpetual openness
On persuasion
What do they know of freedom who only freedom know?
The indistinction of liberty
Freedom and foreclosure
4 On tolerance
5 Cancel culture
Part 3 Anti-/Racism
Speech/silence/ing
Speech and silence: an anti-racist dialectic
Racism is/not …
How racism does its thing
Racism is what racism does
What did you say?
Whiteness and the transcendental imagination
Racism's gothic imaginary
Why anti-racists don't need 'free speech'
Empowerment, not 'freedom'
6 Coconuts
7 On statues, memorials and monuments
8 The paradox of (counter-)hegemony …
Part 4 Shapes
A one-dimensional freedom
Discursive liquidity: the shaping of discourse
9 The case against no platforming is not an open and shut one
10 Safe spaces
11 On harassment and bullying
12 Paul Gilroy in Finsbury Park
Part 5 Closing
Some final thoughts on liberalism and anti-racism 216
References
Index
Product details
| Published | 23 Jan 2025 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 264 |
| ISBN | 9781350470552 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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