The Sum of Us

Throughout The Sum of Us, Heather McGhee describes how racism is harmful to all Americans, regardless of their skin color. Part of this harm is caused by the blind spots that racism produces by dividing Americans and encouraging the establishment of racial hierarchies.

One of the most visible manifestations of this harm is in America’s segregated spaces, which persist for white citizens despite the country’s growing diversity. As McGhee notes, in one 2016 study, 75% of white respondents said their social circle was entirely white. The fact that many white people chose to isolate themselves in predominantly white neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces despite their avowed commitment to diversity shows the influence of racism at work. In particular, segregation fuels beliefs like racist assumptions about the presence of Black and brown students in a classroom reflecting a lower-quality education; resistance to affirmative action policies fueled by racial resentment, inspired by a sense that “underserving” Black people already get enough assistance from the state; and fearful perceptions of Black people motivated by racist stereotypes and projection, or the belief that, if given the chance, Black people will enact white people’s worst traits.

McGhee’s discussion of