How racism came to be called a mental illness — and why that’s a problem
June 22, 2016
— James M. Thomas and W. Carson Byrd
Few would disagree that racism deserves condemnation, or that racist people shouldn’t change their views. But arguing that racism constitutes an actual mental illness goes a step further. Racism has long been considered the product of economic, social and political forces, not a mental health disorder. What changed?