Race and Power

The world functioned for the majority of its history without the concept of race. Yet, in the United States, race has never been absent from the national consciousness.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, European philosophers and naturalists sought to categorize the world according to scientific study and natural laws. This period saw the emergence of race as a classification system designed to rank and sort people within European colonies. This system was not an objective reality but a social construct developed to rationalize European colonization and the enslavement of Africans.

The concept of race, as it exists today, took shape alongside the formation of the United States. It was inextricably linked to two other terms: "white" and "slave." Europeans had already been using these terms since the 1500s, and they carried them into North America, where they took on a new and enduring significance.

From its earliest days, American society weaponized race to justify its economic system, which relied on forced labor, particularly the enslavement of African peoples. Racial classification did not emerge naturally but was deliberately constructed to serve economic and political ends. The notion of whiteness, in contrast, was created to consolidate power among European settlers and maintain a hierarchy that kept African and Indigenous peoples oppressed.

To truly grasp how race and racism are embedded in the fabric of American society, we must examine the historical processes that gave rise to white privilege and anti-Blackness. These constructs were not accidental; they were meticulously designed to maintain a system of inequality that persists to this day.

As we fast forward to the 21st century, we witness an era dominated by oligarchs who manipulate and control global systems. Despite overwhelming evidence, many Americans continue to vote against their own interests, failing to recognize the mechanisms that sustain economic disparity and social division.

As of January 2025, the United States was home to 756 billionaires. Elon Musk, with a staggering net worth of $421.2 billion, stood as the wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes. Meanwhile, the U.S. population reached 345,426,571, making billionaires a mere 0.00021886% of the population.

Yet, despite their minuscule numbers, these billionaires wield disproportionate power over society. Their interests do not align with those of the vast majority of Americans, yet they continue to shape policies, economies, and even public discourse to maintain their dominance.

The reality is clear: we share a common adversary. The concentration of wealth and power among an elite few perpetuates racial and economic injustice, ensuring that systems of oppression remain intact. This is not merely an issue of economic inequality—it is a continuation of the same racialized hierarchies that were established centuries ago to justify and buttress exploitation.

Understanding this historical trajectory is essential. Race was created as a tool for economic and social control. Today, billionaires and corporate elites continue to exploit divisions—racial, political, and economic—to distract the majority from their shared struggle. The illusion of racial superiority and inferiority serves the same purpose now as it did in the past: to keep people divided and distracted while wealth and power remain in the hands of a select few.

Recognizing this truth demands collective action. If the majority unites against systemic inequality, rather than being manipulated by racial and ideological divisions, real change becomes possible. The true battle is not among everyday people of different racial backgrounds; it is between the many and the few who hoard wealth and power at the expense of the rest.

The challenge before us is immense, but so is the potential for transformation. The first step is awareness. The next is action. The history of race in America is not just a past to be studied—it is a present to be confronted and a future to be rewritten.