Peace Studies and the Color Line

Africana Contributions

Carlos Cordero-Pedrosa, Universitat Jaume I, Spain; UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace and I Jin Jang, Universitat Jaume I; Spain; UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace

Race is an important element of the modern understanding of the human being which emerged during colonialism in order to mark the distinction between the human and the subhuman. Histories and processes of racialization have not only been histories of direct and structural violence, but they were coterminous with the formation of modern human and social sciences, forms of governance, the emergence of international law, notions of citizenship, the formation of modern states, the elaboration of liberal political theories. Likewise, race is a significant aspect of migration, international and humanitarian aid, the notion of development, or current urban and environmental conflicts. The anthropological and racial dimensions of these issues have been omitted in peace studies. This work explores the silence on questions of race in peace studies, the under-theorization of racism and colonialism, and the scarce engagement with the different fields and traditions that put race, racism and colonialism at the center of their inquiry. The book starts with the question of how peace studies can address issues of race and racism when the discipline has not only ignored them as an object of study but also when the field has not properly addressed the intricacy of race, racism colonialism with knowledge production. To that effect, it follows two interwoven paths: First, it addresses the reasons behind these absences and what the silence says about the field. Bringing the silences to the forefront would enable us to situate and rethink how peace research conceives itself, its own foundational narrative, its disciplinary boundaries, and its relationship with other fields of knowledge. Second and relatedly, the approach of the book is not only critical but also expansive and reconstructive. It engages in conversations with neglected fields such as black and Africana philosophy, anticolonial and decolonial thought, and feminist approaches to race and racism.

Dialoguing with Critical Race Theory: Constitutional and Christian Links

Mark Ellingsen, Interdenominational Theological Center

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is certainly a hot topic. No longer just the legal theory it was originally designed to be, it has become an icon for determining which side you are on concerning racism. Most of the loudest voices, especially in the debate about CRT in our schools, seem not to have actually studied the theory. This is a book to get you into the heart of CRT’s actual analysis and prescriptions. It’s a book to get Americans to stop all the shouting and really find out what CRT teaches. It might also contribute to getting more civility into our public discourse. Ellingsen demonstrates how in fact what Critical Race Theory teaches is in line with our Constitutional system’s realism about political solutions, suspicions of our selfishness, and the majority’s tendency to run roughshod over minorities. He also demonstrates that these commitments are consistent with Christianity’s understanding of original sin and the quest for social justice. Consequently, if critics do not want CRT taught in our schools or to be part of our public discourse, we had better stop teaching the Constitution and Christian values in our schools, to rule these commitments as out of order in our search for common values! Get ready for a stimulating, controversial, well-documented read.