Anti-Racism as Communism contains a wide range of interesting and provocative claims and helps break new ground in existing philosophical discussions of social justice, racism and capitalism. In particular, both of the central lessons Gomberg discusses in the book help to push back against the fairly widespread view that communism and socialism are economistic creeds, or perhaps even hopelessly 'class reductionist' in outlook, and thus have very little of value to say about race. For this reason, the book deserves a wide readership on the political left, not just among card-carrying communists.

Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

Paul Gomberg has written a truly revolutionary book about racism. By this I do not mean just that he believes the revolutionary destruction of capitalism is necessary to destroy racism, but that the breadth and depth of his presentation is truly unique. Gomberg not only describes the historical development of racism, but shows how capitalism cannot survive without it. He focuses primarily on anti-black racism as the dominant paradigm in US history, but the analysis carries over to other marginalized groups and nations.

Multi-Racial Unity Blog

In equal parts history, political analysis, and philosophy, Paul Gomberg's Anti-Racism as Communism forcefully argues the thesis adumbrated in its title: the transcendence of race and racism can be achieved only in a society organized around the abolition of capital and the institution of egalitarian social relations. While the book bristles with valuable information about capitalist practices of divide-and-conquer, as well as about past Communist successes in building class-conscious multiracial solidarity, this historical background functions primarily to ground Professor Gomberg's keen critical analysis of different schemas for understanding what racism is-and is not. Arguing that the great majority of non-elite whites are also hurt by the racism more grievously inflicted on black and other “minority” populations, he concludes, “We cannot bring about racial equality without addressing non-racial inequality.” This provocative book is premised upon a profoundly ethical conception of what communism entails.

Barbara Foley, Rutgers University, US

Should oppressed Black Americans hope for a future without the burden of Blackness-absent the idea of race itself? Anti-racism as Communism insists that the only hope for a future unburdened by the dehumanization, alienation, and capitalist exploitation of the past depends on the ability of whites and Blacks to reformulate anti-racism towards communism. Through rigorous historiography, philosophical argumentation, and a welcomed compassion for the poor, the Black, and the downtrodden, Gomberg provokes philosophers and theorists alike to reject an inter-racial model of racism conducted primarily by whites for a racial harm model implicating Black elites and Black state agents for their role in the oppression of all Black Americans. This provocative text rightfully demands the attention of all scholars thinking about anti-Black racism in the United States and beyond.

Tommy J. Curry, The University of Edinburgh, UK

Paul Gomberg has given us a path-breaking book that combines historical narrative, social explanation and political advocacy. It is at once a historical account of how the hyper-exploitation of black workers in American capitalism has made white as well as black workers worse off; a recounting of how the Communist Party recognised this fact and made anti-racism and black leadership essential to its trade-union organising in the early 20th century; a rejection of the concept of 'white supremacy' in favour of a class-based understanding of racial injustice today; an argument that to act effectively against racial injustice we must all distance ourselves from our own racial identities; and an articulation of a race-centred Marxism for which communism is the only way to end racial injustice and anti-racism the only way to communism. This is a book that should be read by everyone concerned with the interactions between race and capitalism in the modern world.

Andrew Chitty, University of Sussex, UK

One of the most engaging recent books to come out on the philosophy of race, the politics of Marxism, and the practice of anti-racism. Gomberg takes a giant step over the tired 'race' versus 'class' debate to remind us of the glorious history of left-wing anti-racism and, more importantly, to recover its theory and practice today. Written with compelling precision and clarity, the book explains how to recognize the reality of racism while rejecting racial identity. Gomberg practices what he preaches. The depth of insight and range of learning comes from a philosopher who has been thinking about racism, freedom and equality for decades. The conviction and commitment reflect an activist who has been involved in anti-racist, communist struggle for even longer. I am convinced that true anti-racism is possible only from the universalistic standpoint Gomberg offers: racism harms us all, therefore we all have an interest in eradicating it at its source. Gomberg invites us to understand racism as a way of organizing and managing the inequality that capitalist exploitation relies on. That is why, as Gomberg puts it, “the only alternative to racism is a communist society where we flourish together by contributing to one another's flourishing.” That is a vision that can inspire a movement large enough to overcome the political structures that support racism and human exploitation. Gomberg inspired me. Of immense interest and sure to provoke strong reactions, everyone should read this book.

Alex Gourevitch, associate professor of political science at Brown University and author of From Slavery to the Cooperative Commonwealth