From slavery to Jim Crow, from colonial conquest to today's global labor exploitation—racism has always been foundational to capitalism. But what exactly is racial capitalism, and how does it continue to shape our economy and daily lives?

In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra sits down with renowned historian Robin D. G. Kelley to unravel how capitalism has always been a racialized and gendered colonial project. Together, they examine how systemic racism is ingrained in economic structures, shaping everything from labor practices and property rights to state power and global migration.

Meet Our Guest: Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley is Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA.  His books include Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination and Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression.

In this deeply insightful conversation, we examine:

• how race and gender hierarchies have historically been used to justify exploitation
• the role of slavery in shaping modern labor systems
• Juneteenth and the reality of emancipation in the U.S., reframing the history we’ve been taught
• Jim Crow as a response to interracial labor movements
• ongoing impacts of colonialism on labor practices and immigration policy today
• the importance of solidarity in dismantling systems of oppression

Dr. Kelley makes clear that racial capitalism isn’t just history, it’s the blueprint behind our current economic order. Understanding its roots and mechanisms is critical to any movement seeking genuine liberation and systemic change.

“If the goal is liberation, two things have to go: modern capitalism and systemic racism.” — Robin D.G. Kelley

📌 Robin D.G. Kelley’s work critically examines race, capitalism, labor, and radical social movements, offering powerful insights on the struggle for collective liberation. For more about Juneteenth, listen to his episode on the Majority Report.

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