When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America

Ira Katznelson

Aug 2006 · W. W. Norton & Company

About this ebook

A groundbreaking work that exposes the twisted origins of affirmative action.

In this "penetrating new analysis" (New York Times Book Review) Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of twentieth-century American history and demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. Through mechanisms designed by Southern Democrats that specifically excluded maids and farm workers, the gap between blacks and whites actually widened despite postwar prosperity. In the words of noted historian Eric Foner, "Katznelson's incisive book should change the terms of debate about affirmative action, and about the last seventy years of American history."

Ratings and reviews

Katznelson's book is well researched and compelling, but at times is a little easy to get lost in. The work could be more synthetic; at the end of most of the chapters, I felt like the task of constructing a cohesive narrative from the (at times, seemingly contradictory) information presented was left to me as the reader. I also got something of a feeling that Katznelson was being almost too fair, understating the reality of race-based discrimination. For example, he leaves out forms of discrimination / white "affirmative action" that seem like they would be important for constructing his argument - specifically, housing discrimination and redlining are neglected. Regardless, the information contained here is good, the work is well written, and the ideas he presents in the final chapter give affirmative action a solid, principled basis. While affirmative action is no longer at the center of the public discourse on race, it's definitely still worth a read.

I love it! It's great 👍🏼

Excellent book

About the author

Ira Katznelson is Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History at Columbia University and Deputy Director of Columbia World Projects. A former president of the American Political Science Association, he is the author of many celebrated books, including Fear Itself, winner of the Bancroft Prize in History.