Racist Voters and Rising Hate Groups
Part 1 of a 2-part review of "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson
Back in December 2021, I wrote a 2-part review of the book “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson. It was published in the Journal of Free Black Thought.
Racist Voters and Rising Hate Groups
It is a bit long, but worth reading because it sheds light on how tolerance of an author’s motivated reasoning works. In this case, Isabel Wilkerson got not just a free pass, but many accolades, because her conclusions fit the media’s preferred narrative. This happened despite the fact that (as I show) the data used is flawed and the way it is interpreted is even more flawed.
I am grateful for the support I received from JFBT. Not only did they edit my writing, but they also made my analysis of the data stronger. It was because of this support that I had the courage to publish something that went against the prevailing conventional understanding of the charged topic of race.
Thank you for the re-print. I haven’t read either of Wilkerson’s books, but I find prolific misuse of data in many, many fields right now. Glad to see it being critically considered and challenged when appropriate.
It's good to see your important analysis of this book has gotten such attention.