Capitalism's Dark Complexion - by Pushkala Prasad (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Has capitalism always partnered with race?

This book examines how capitalism operates through racialised structures across different moments in global history. Moving beyond conventional class-based analyses, the book deepens our understanding of capitalism's effects by exploring how race has been used to value, control and exploit populations.

From slavery and colonial dispossession to global divisions of labour, sex tourism and consumerism, Prasad offers a vital critique of how capitalism damages not only those it devalues but also shapes the way we all live--and the condition of the planet itself.

Review Quotes

"In gripping and clear prose, Capitalism's Dark Complexion moves from Atlantic slavery to contemporary sex tourism, from Adam Smith to Black Lives Matter, revealing how racism has been part of capitalism from the beginning. This is an important book", Angela Zimmerman, George Washington University.

"This book offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking analysis of the often-overlooked relationship between racism and capitalism, along with its implications for the Global South", Ernesto Noronha, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

"A powerful, historically grounded analysis that reveals how capitalism has always been racialized, reshaping markets, labor, consumption, and inequality across the globe", Bobby Banerjee, City St George's, University of London.

"Capitalism's Dark Complexion magnificently interrogates capitalism's racialized foundations, advancing critical, historical insights into global systems of valuation and structural inequities", Todd Bridgman, Victoria University of Wellington.

"Pushkala Prasad exposes the brutal realities of racial exploitation and dispossession that have defined capitalism throughout history. An essential read for anyone seeking to understand and challenge capitalism today", Carl Rhodes, UTS Business School and author of Woke Capitalism.

About the Author

Pushkala Prasad is the Zankel Professor of Management in the Department of Management and Business at Skidmore College.