When Affirmative Action Was White

An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America

By: Ira Katznelson

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

In this "penetrating new analysis" (New York Times Book Review), Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of 20th 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 70 years of American history.”

©2005 Ira Katznelson (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[An] intriguing study" ( Publishers Weekly)

i recommend

Good listen but at times it was a list of stats. The book included a very thoughtful discussion of the New Deal and its impact on African Americans.

A must read for all Americans

This book poignantly explains and exposes why there are such stark racial gaps in America and how it was accomplished through intentional design. The narrator makes a very tough subject to become aware of easy to listen to, which made the subject matter that much more effective

Excellent and eye opening

Opened my eyes to the intricacies of racist practices that have been imbedded in our society throughout the 1900s, which propelled one part of society and hindered the other.

Telling American history as it is

When Affirmative Action was White is just another addition to the stream of scholarship clarifying exactly how America created a racial wealth gap, the specific actions and attitudes that created it and those utilized to address it along with lessons learned. I think this is a crucial contribution to the overall argument for restorative or corrective justice with an emphasis on large government action used to grow the gap and the need for large, systemic solutions to reduce it. Ira Katznelson also does a great job explaining HOW these arguments should be made and the immense failure of relying on common sense or empathy to carry the day. Overall a really thorough book that delivers on its title.

A *MUST* Read/Listen

Loved the analysis. It fits well to what I experience growing up in Atlanta. If you want to understand a component of racism, start here first!

A MUST READ for every American.

A MUST READ for every American. This book explains how we find ourselves in our current environment and how to make a more equitable future for all.

Excellent piece of history…..

This is one of the best books covering Affirmative Action I have read. I actually played it for a group of people studying this time frame and we are all aghast as well as amazed. So much history! Wonderful presentation and complete references. I will be reading this again!

Very informative and honest!

it's not honest that you can read a mainstream book and hear the truth about how the US government treated African Americans or American descendants of slaves(ASOS)!!

Extremely enlightening

This book is profoundly informative and interesting. It should be a curriculum read in our school system and a required read for immigrants.

Intelligent Description of Some Sources of Modern Inequality

Excellent study of how the New Deal, GI Bill, and Fair Deal were shaped by southern Democrats to benefit their white constituencies and deliberately cut out African-Americans. A pretty brilliant historical defense of why Affirmative Action for African-Americans made sense (and still makes sense) to account in a small way for past discrimination.