By Musa T Bey

Introduction

Anti-racism and Marxism are two ideological frameworks that seek to dismantle systems of oppression, but their relationship has often been fraught with tension and debate. Marxism, as formulated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, primarily critiques capitalism as a system of class exploitation, arguing that economic structures determine social relations. Anti-racism, on the other hand, focuses on the systemic and institutional discrimination that has historically marginalized racialized groups, particularly Black, Indigenous, and other nonwhite populations.

While Marxism provides a materialist critique of economic exploitation, classical Marxist theory has often been critiqued for its insufficient engagement with racial oppression. Many early Marxist theorists, including Marx himself, viewed racism as a secondary issue that would be resolved through the broader struggle against capitalism. However, Black Marxists, anti-colonial revolutionaries, and radical thinkers have argued that capitalism is inherently racialized and that any genuine Marxist movement must incorporate anti-racist struggle.

This essay explores the intersection of anti-racism and Marxism by examining classical Marxist views on race, the emergence of Black Marxism and racial capitalism, and contemporary anti-racist Marxist movements. It argues that a truly transformative socialist movement must center racial justice, recognizing that racism is not merely a tool of capitalism but a foundational pillar of the capitalist system itself.

Classical Marxism and Race: Strengths and Limitations

Karl Marx on Race and Capitalism

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed a theory of historical materialism, arguing that economic relations shape social structures, including race and class. While they did not develop a comprehensive theory of racism, their writings contained insights into the role of racial oppression in capitalism.

• Slavery and Capitalist Accumulation

Marx recognized the centrality of slavery in the development of capitalism, particularly in his discussions on the transatlantic slave trade and its role in enriching European economies. In Capital, Volume 1, he noted:

“The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement, and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black skins, signaled the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production.”

This passage acknowledges that racialized exploitation was integral to the early development of capitalism. However, Marx did not explicitly frame racism as an autonomous structure of oppression, instead seeing it as a byproduct of economic exploitation.

• The “Reserve Army of Labor” and Racial Division

Marx also theorized that capitalism maintains a “reserve army of labor”—a surplus population of unemployed or underemployed workers who can be exploited when needed. In many capitalist societies, racial minorities have been disproportionately placed in this category, serving as an easily exploitable labor force.

However, Marx did not extensively explore how racial divisions within the working class were deliberately maintained by the ruling class to prevent worker solidarity. This oversight would later be addressed by anti-colonial and Black Marxist theorists.

Engels and the Concept of National Oppression

Friedrich Engels contributed to Marxist discussions on oppression by analyzing the struggles of oppressed nationalities within multi-ethnic empires. He argued that nationalism and ethnic divisions were used to weaken working-class unity, a theme later explored in discussions on racialized labor. However, like Marx, Engels primarily framed these struggles in economic terms rather than recognizing racism as an independent force.

Black Marxism and the Critique of Classical Marxism

Cedric Robinson and Racial Capitalism

One of the most significant critiques of classical Marxism came from Cedric Robinson in Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition. Robinson argued that Marxism was Eurocentric, assuming that capitalism emerged from feudalism in a race-neutral manner. In contrast, Robinson proposed the concept of racial capitalism, which holds that capitalism did not develop independently of racial hierarchies but was built upon them.

• Racial Capitalism as a System of Oppression

• The transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and Jim Crow segregation were not aberrations within capitalism but essential to its functioning.

• Racial exploitation was not just a symptom of capitalism but a core mechanism for profit accumulation.

Robinson’s work challenged Marxist movements to recognize that dismantling capitalism requires directly confronting racial oppression, rather than assuming that economic revolution alone will resolve racial disparities.

W.E.B. Du Bois and the Color Line in Capitalism

W.E.B. Du Bois, another key figure in Black Marxist thought, argued that racism was not just an economic tool but a fundamental aspect of global imperialism. In Black Reconstruction in America, Du Bois introduced the concept of the “psychological wage” of whiteness, showing how white workers were granted social privileges to keep them from aligning with Black workers.

Du Bois’s work highlights how capitalism strategically uses racial division to weaken class solidarity, a phenomenon evident in:

• The exclusion of Black workers from labor unions.

• The enforcement of segregationist policies that maintained racial hierarchies.

• The use of police and state violence to suppress Black labor movements.

Frantz Fanon and the Colonial Dimension of Marxism

Frantz Fanon, a revolutionary psychiatrist and anti-colonial thinker, extended Marxist thought by analyzing the psychological effects of colonial racism. In The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon argued that racism was a tool of colonial capitalism, used to dehumanize colonized peoples and justify their economic exploitation.

Fanon’s contributions were critical in highlighting:

• The intersection of racial and economic oppression under colonial rule.

• The necessity of armed struggle against both capitalism and white supremacy.

• The psychological trauma inflicted by racial capitalism.

His work inspired revolutionary movements across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, reinforcing the need for an anti-racist Marxism that directly addresses colonial oppression.

Contemporary Anti-Racist Marxist Struggles

Mass Incarceration and Racial Capitalism

The prison-industrial complex exemplifies how capitalism and racism function together. The U.S. prison system disproportionately incarcerates Black and Latino populations, creating a racialized system of forced labor. As Angela Davis has argued, prisons serve as a modern form of racial capitalism, maintaining economic inequality while enriching private corporations.

Immigrant Labor and Global Racial Capitalism

Globalized capitalism depends on the hyper-exploitation of migrant labor, particularly from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Racial hierarchies determine which groups are subjected to the harshest working conditions, reinforcing systemic oppression on a global scale. Anti-racist Marxism must therefore:

• Support labor organizing among migrant workers.

• Oppose nationalist policies that divide the working class.

• Advocate for global labor solidarity against racial capitalism.

The Role of Social Movements

Movements such as Black Lives Matter, Indigenous land struggles, and immigrant rights campaigns have challenged both racial oppression and economic exploitation. A Marxist approach to anti-racism must align with these movements while integrating class analysis to address both racial and economic justice.

Conclusion: Toward a Revolutionary Anti-Racist Marxism

For Marxism to be truly revolutionary, it must move beyond a narrow class-based analysis and fully integrate anti-racist struggle. The fight against capitalism cannot be separated from the fight against white supremacy, colonialism, and racial violence. A truly emancipatory movement must:

1. Recognize that racial capitalism is a core structure of global oppression.

2. Center the experiences and struggles of Black, Indigenous, and racialized workers.

3. Build multiracial, anti-capitalist movements that challenge both economic exploitation and racial hierarchy.

By synthesizing anti-racism with Marxist critique, we can work toward a world that dismantles both capitalist and racial oppression, creating a future rooted in justice, equality, and liberation for all.