The hottest Race relations Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Seems Racist to Me

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 3177 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Kamala Harris thinks giving weed to young Black men will help her get their votes, which seems disrespectful. If a white person suggested something similar for white votes, it would be considered racist.
  2. People want jobs and affordable groceries, not things like free weed or reparations. They want real support, not just offers that seem shallow.
  3. Donald Trump connects with voters as a working-class candidate, while Kamala Harris struggles to get her message across. This difference in approach is affecting how voters see them.

If You Want Different Outcomes, You Have to Do Different Things

Freddie deBoer • 19090 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Anger and protest are justified but not enough; you have to pair righteous rage with clear thinking, ruthless self-criticism, and realistic strategy.
  2. Durable change depends on concrete policy demands and sustained political organizing, not just symbolic goals like abolishing an agency without fixing the wider system.
  3. Tactics matter: calls for violence or naive actions like a general strike can backfire, so prioritize disciplined plans that focus on measurable outcomes.

Guess they were more B-O-R-E-D of Peace

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 570 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. War with Iran would be risky and unpredictable, and trying to force regime change from the air without clear goals, congressional approval, or a postwar plan could have serious, unforeseen consequences.
  2. The president’s McDonald’s spectacle with the U.S. men’s hockey team shows crass, politicized showmanship and how pulling athletes into political theater can backfire; public apologies often don’t satisfy outrage culture and can incentivize denial.
  3. The BAFTAs incident where a person with Tourette’s shouted a racial slur raises a painful dilemma between condemning racism and being sensitive to neurodivergence and ableism, forcing a hard conversation about accountability versus compassion.

George Floyd, Renee Good, and Brainworms Versus Reality

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 5656 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Mass deportation and aggressive ICE raids would wreck large parts of the economy and often target people who are working and have no criminal convictions, so authorities should use discretion instead of sweeping enforcement.
  2. The idea that immigrants are causing a crime wave is false. Cities show strong multiracial resistance to raids, which demonstrates that multicultural communities can hold together.
  3. Many aggressive immigration policies are driven more by racial or demographic goals than by public safety, and that agenda creates a continuous conflict between federal agents and the communities they target, which people who value an inclusive country must oppose.

Are White Men a "Lost Generation"? Interview With Author Jacob Savage

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 6578 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. Since the mid-2010s, white men have lost significant ground in many media, academic, and creative jobs as diversity and inclusion policies reshaped hiring, leaving them feeling shut out of spaces they once dominated.
  2. That loss has real personal costs: stalled careers, economic hardship, and regret from men who expected fair treatment but found doors closing instead of opportunities opening.
  3. Many men are afraid to tell their stories because of workplace and social risks, which makes honest conversation about these changes rare and could hide wider social tensions with long-term consequences.
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Eric Adams Is in Deep Sh*t

Glenn Loury • 535 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Eric Adams is facing serious legal trouble, being the first sitting New York City mayor to be charged with a federal crime. This makes his situation quite unprecedented.
  2. He's attempting to use race as a defense strategy, but many are skeptical that will be effective. There seems to be a general belief that this approach won't help his case.
  3. Adams's time in office is viewed as lacking by many New Yorkers. There's a feeling that he might only serve one term due to his performance.

Nueva Australia

Kvetch • 65 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
💾 History Race relations
  1. After the violent defeat of the 1891 shearers’ strike, William Lane led 220 Australians to Paraguay to try to build a new white, socialist utopia called Nueva Australia.
  2. The community ran on strict communal rules—no alcohol, no private property, and racial separation—and those rules plus disagreements over labor and women caused bitter infighting and a split within months.
  3. The utopian project collapsed within a few years and Lane eventually returned home and turned conservative, while many descendants stayed in Paraguay, becoming Spanish- and Guaraní-speaking cattle ranchers who adopted private landholding.

‘Am I a Racist?’ Is Brilliant. More Importantly, It's Funny

The Take (by Jon Miltimore) • 456 implied HN points • 03 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Matt Walsh's documentary 'Am I a Racist?' uses humor to criticize the DEI industry and its practices. It shows how some people profit from creating racial tensions.
  2. The film exposes the contradiction in some anti-racist beliefs, where individuals are seen only through their group identity. Walsh highlights the absurdity of these ideas while making the audience laugh.
  3. Alongside the mockery, the film also presents positive examples of people who view others as individuals, suggesting a more constructive way to address racism.

I Didn’t Ask Jesse Jackson for His Autograph. But I Got One Anyway.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 292 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. He was consistently authentic and stayed true to himself throughout his public life.
  2. He showed personal warmth and generosity, often giving signed photos and short messages like "Peace" to people he met.
  3. Even with a complicated career, he was seen as a straight shooter who mixed humor with sharp insights on civil-rights issues like integration and desegregation.

The Age of Jackson

Unpopular Front • 145 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Jesse Jackson was a major political figure in the 1980s and 90s who was ultimately sidelined by savvy political maneuvers like the "Sister Souljah" moment.
  2. He bridged the Black Church civil-rights tradition with unapologetic New Deal–style social democracy and influenced later leaders and multiracial progressive movements.
  3. He was a masterful, classical public speaker who embodied the cultural and rhetorical traditions conservatives claim to defend, and his decline left the modern left noticeably poorer in persuasive, beautiful rhetoric.

The Indo-European Project

Wrong Side of History • 308 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Race relations
  1. The EU is trying to copy the American idea of a nation of immigrants, but it lacks the key ingredients that made that work in the US — things like open land, an assimilationist culture, strong economic freedom, and a small welfare state.
  2. Many of Europe’s recent immigrants come from regions with long-standing cultural and historical conflicts with Europe, which fuels deep social tensions and makes integration harder; some leaders are now looking to Indian immigration as a possible fix.
  3. Indian migrants often show low crime and high economic and educational outcomes, likely due to selection and class background, but relying on this pattern is risky because Europe doesn’t have the same conditions that helped the US absorb large immigrant flows and diversity hasn’t erased underlying conflicts.

This is not a good way to fight racism in America

Noahpinion • 34882 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Creating a multiracial society requires deep societal changes and can't be achieved through quick fixes or shortcuts
  2. Forging a shared national identity in a diverse society is challenging but achievable through extended, cooperative contact between racial groups
  3. Efforts to combat racism through shortcuts like discriminatory practices or oversimplified diversity training often backfire and require long-term, thoughtful solutions

Derek Chauvin Did Not Murder George Floyd

Glenn Loury • 5694 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. The concept of "poetic truth" is discussed, referring to the creation of a partisan version of reality for power and leverage.
  2. The narrative around George Floyd's death is challenged, highlighting potential inaccuracies and the danger of perpetuating false truths.
  3. The importance of seeking and acknowledging the truth in controversial and emotionally charged situations is emphasized, even when it challenges established beliefs.

Luke Kornet vs. Magic City: An Atlanta Hawks Controversy

House of Strauss • 29 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🎾 Sports Race relations
  1. Luke Kornet publicly criticized the Atlanta Hawks for promoting Magic City, arguing an NBA team shouldn’t endorse a strip club because it risks objectifying women and clashes with a family-friendly image.
  2. The backlash was mixed and heated: some people called his stance moral grandstanding or racially awkward, while others across lines of opinion supported his request to cancel the promotion and defenders framed Magic City as cultural and artistic.
  3. Magic City is a powerful local brand and the Hawks likely pushed the promotion to seem cool and reconnect with Black fans, but using an NBA platform for a strip-club tie‑in feels inappropriate and speaks to the franchise’s desperation for local relevance.

The Exquisite Irony of Claudine Gay's Downfall

Glenn Loury • 3630 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Defenders claim that ousting Claudine Gay was more about race and ideology than academic integrity, but it still doesn't excuse plagiarism.
  2. Being a university president may require more than being a noteworthy scholar; skills like administration and fundraising could take precedence.
  3. The debate on affirmative action and academic standards for black students is complex, with implications for diversity, standards, and systemic corruption.

Was White Australia an aberration?

Kvetch • 53 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
💾 History Race relations
  1. Australia was born and matured with strong classical liberal ideals that favored universal rights and practical equality, which limited how extreme racial policies became. These liberal roots coexisted with reactionary elements but remained a central part of the political culture.
  2. The White Australia policy grew out of specific geopolitical and economic fears—Chinese gold rush migration, the rise of Japan, and worries Britain wouldn’t defend the continent—so it was as much a nationalist, pragmatic response to vulnerability as an expression of racial animus. Even many liberals supported it at the time as a means to preserve social order and democratic stability.
  3. After WWII, changing global circumstances—Britain’s retreat, Japan’s defeat, and growing trade with Asia—pushed Australia back toward its liberal, universalist traditions and led to the dismantling of racially exclusionary policies. In that sense, the White Australia era can be seen as a roughly six-decade nationalist interruption rather than the nation’s defining character.

Quibbling with Cofnas: I

Not On Your Team, But Always Fair • 1690 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Race relations
  1. The hereditarian thesis acknowledges that different human groups have varied traits, but using the term 'race realism' may not be the best way to describe this concept.
  2. Social outcomes are influenced by both genetic differences and cultural patterns, making 'race' a limited descriptor for these variations.
  3. While genes play a role in social outcomes, factors like culture and social circumstances also significantly impact these outcomes, suggesting that a broader perspective than 'race realism' is needed.

The Indignities of Affirmative Action

Glenn Loury • 1547 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. High-achieving African Americans can face indignities and suspicion because of affirmative action.
  2. Less-qualified African Americans may unknowingly be condescended to due to affirmative action.
  3. Many individuals, like John McWhorter, prefer to be judged based on their abilities, not affirmative action.

Time to Get Rid of the N-Word Taboo

Glenn Loury • 1269 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. John and Glenn discuss the use of racial slurs for illustration or analysis, rather than to demean.
  2. The taboo against racial slurs is expanding to even include terms that were once considered dignified, like "Negro."
  3. They talk about the power dynamics involved in the growing list of forbidden terms.

What Happened to the Black-Jewish Alliance?

Glenn Loury • 1666 implied HN points • 17 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Black-Jewish alliance started strong but faced challenges over time, especially with disagreements over issues like affirmative action and Israel-Palestine.
  2. Historical tensions between Blacks and Jews stemmed from economic factors and differences in experiences of discrimination.
  3. Racially preferential policies, like affirmative action, deepened enmity between Black and Jewish communities by bringing to light symbolic and ideological differences.

Toy shop adultery (edited)

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 6 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. Casual racist comments can appear in ordinary conversations and are particularly jarring because a person's skin colour has nothing to do with private relationships.
  2. Being young or taken aback makes it hard to challenge hurtful views in the moment, and that's an understandable barrier.
  3. Staying silent when you hear prejudice often causes lasting regret, and that regret highlights the value of trying to speak up or respond, even if imperfectly.

How Minneapolis Became the Vortex of American Polarization

KERFUFFLE • 85 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Minneapolis has shifted from a trusting, "Minnesota nice" city to one now associated with riots, police violence, political assassinations, and large fraud schemes.
  2. A string of high-profile events—the 2020 George Floyd unrest, a massive Somali fraud scheme, and an ICE agent's fatal shooting—has kept the city in the national spotlight and deepened political division.
  3. Longstanding tensions simmer beneath the surface and can flare up suddenly, and local leaders' handling of these crises is a central part of debates about the city's future.

Livestream Event: Glenn Loury on Clarence Thomas

Glenn Loury • 1249 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Livestream event discussing the significance of Justice Clarence Thomas and his impact on American law and society.
  2. Justice Clarence Thomas is celebrated for his efforts to uphold individual liberties and limit federal government powers.
  3. Criticism against Justice Thomas often focuses on personal attacks rather than his judicial ideas, especially from black critics who question his loyalty to the African American community.

MLK’s Former Speechwriter: ‘We Are Trying to Save the Soul of America’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 7169 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Clarence Jones had a close relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. and was able to write speeches that perfectly captured King's voice and tone.
  2. Jones believes that the messages of Martin Luther King Jr., including radical nonviolence and building alliances across ethnic lines, have been forgotten in America.
  3. Jones played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement by fundraising, helping with King's speeches, and forming alliances, emphasizing the importance of coalition support, especially from the American Jewish community.

On Speaking Up Against Racism

The Soup • 727 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. The author reflects on a past experience of being called out for racism
  2. The incident led to a moment of humility and self-reflection
  3. The author acknowledges the importance of understanding and learning from such experiences

The Messy Thicket of Change

Culture Study • 2436 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. It's important to let everyday people create their own solutions for social change, instead of just following easy steps set by others. This helps them feel more connected and invested in the process.
  2. The journey towards racial justice is messy and often includes mistakes, but the willingness to work through those challenges together is crucial for real progress.
  3. Building a supportive community where everyone feels they belong encourages deeper conversations about tough topics like racism, making it easier for people to come together and act for change.

February 1, 2026

Letters from an American • 35 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Julia Ward Howe’s "Battle Hymn of the Republic" framed the Civil War as a moral crusade and became tied to the movement that led to the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery.
  2. February 1 is a recurring date of civil-rights significance: the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins helped spark desegregation, and the day was later chosen to mark the start of Black History Month.
  3. The past resonates with the present as recent removal of slavery exhibits and federal crackdowns have provoked protests that reuse historic chants and songs, highlighting an ongoing struggle over national memory and who is protected by the state.

Why did White Australia end?

Kvetch • 55 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
💾 History Race relations
  1. White Australia was a foundational, widely supported policy aimed at preserving a predominantly British, racially homogeneous nation. Political leaders defended it as essential to national character and self‑preservation.
  2. The policy was dismantled gradually and somewhat muddled from the postwar period into the late 1960s, driven by decolonisation, international pressure, growing ties with Asia, and changing Western (especially American) racial norms. Reforms opened the door to more non‑European immigration even as governments insisted newcomers must assimilate and that a multiracial society was not the goal.
  3. Ending White Australia left an identity gap that successive leaders struggled to fill coherently; efforts to pivot toward Asia and promote language study didn’t produce a clear new national story, and other identity currents—like increased focus on Indigenous identity—grew to occupy that space.

We Must Return to the Classical Black American Tradition

Journal of Free Black Thought • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. A post–civil rights ideological shift toward neo-Marxist and socialist-influenced, state-managed solutions prioritized social engineering over community-building, which encouraged dependency and weakened families, churches, and local order.
  2. Progressive, technocratic city governance and a permanent political class have managed chronic poverty while elites opt out with private schooling, leaving public schools to focus more on ideology than on basic literacy and vocational skills, which deepens stagnation.
  3. The proposed remedy is a return to the classical Black American tradition—combining traditional Christian ethics with free-market enterprise and Booker T. Washington’s emphasis on economic self-reliance and moral development—to restore dignity, stability, and prosperity.

America Has Black Nationalism, Not Balkanization

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 4023 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. American racial politics should be understood as primarily about Black Nationalism versus everyone else, rather than just whites versus minorities.
  2. The power and impact of America's assimilation capacity and focus on black issues in politics are significant and have defied demographic changes.
  3. Fighting to eliminate racial classifications and recognition for non-black minorities may be more important than battling Black Nationalism directly, as black-centered politics tend to remain irrespective of external influences.

Who's Afraid of Zohran Mamdani?

Can We Still Govern? • 554 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. Zohran Mamdani faced criticism due to his college application, which raised questions about his racial identity. His responses were personal and made in a context where standardized categories often miss complex backgrounds.
  2. The story about Mamdani was based on hacked data, which raises ethical concerns in journalism. News outlets usually avoid publishing information from hackers, especially when it's motivated by a political agenda.
  3. Mamdani is an immigrant and a political figure in NYC, and the scrutiny he faces reflects broader issues related to race and identity in America. Understanding his story could help highlight how these issues affect many immigrants today.

'Gone With the Wind': The Explosive Lost Scenes

The Ankler • 884 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Race relations
  1. At the Atlanta premiere of Gone With the Wind, there was a hidden civil war over how slavery should be depicted in the movie, leading to the exclusion of some intense scenes.
  2. Gone With the Wind, a highly successful film, faced criticism for its romanticized portrayal of slavery, which influenced perceptions of race relations worldwide.
  3. The legacy of Gone With the Wind is complex, with debates surrounding its portrayal of slavery, the impact on culture, and the role of key figures like Hattie McDaniel in the movie's history.

Waiting for Obama

Glenn Loury • 1170 implied HN points • 22 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations
  1. The podcast discusses how America has not made as much progress on race as hoped since 2007.
  2. Barack Obama's presidency seemed like a missed opportunity to move beyond race in the nation.
  3. Social media played a significant role in reinforcing tribalist feelings and hindering progress on race relations.