Out of Whiteness

What happens when people in societies stratified by race refuse to accept the privileges inherent in whiteness? What difference does it make when whites act in a manner that contradicts their designated racial identity? This study considers these questions and argues for an imaginative and radical politics against all forms of racism. The authors Vron Ware and Les Back look at key points in American and British culture where the "colour line" has been blurred. Through probing accounts of racial masquerades in popular literature, the growth of the white power music scene on the Internet, the meteoric rise of big band jazz during World War II, and the pivotal role of white session players in crafting rhythm and blues classics by black artists, Ware and Back upset the idea of race as a symbol of inherent human attributes. Their book gives us a reminder of the forces that continue to make people "white", and reveals the polyglot potential of identities and cultures.

What happens when people in societies stratified by race refuse to accept the privileges inherent in whiteness? What difference does it make when whites act in a manner that contradicts their designated racial identity? This study considers these questions and argues for an imaginative and radical politics against all forms of racism. The authors Vron Ware and Les Back look at key points in American and British culture where the "colour line" has been blurred. Through probing accounts of racial masquerades in popular literature, the growth of the white power music scene on the Internet, the meteoric rise of big band jazz during World War II, and the pivotal role of white session players in crafting rhythm and blues classics by black artists, Ware and Back upset the idea of race as a symbol of inherent human attributes. Their book gives us a reminder of the forces that continue to make people "white", and reveals the polyglot potential of identities and cultures.