“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts”

-Bertrand Russell

About The Book

We hear it all the time: Americans need to have a conversation about race. The obvious reason for that recommendation is what appears to be increasing racial polarization more than fifty years after the landmark civil rights legislation of the 1960s. Why is this happening at this time in history? Are these conversations only reinforcing existing attitudes and prejudices? Is it possible for White people to have a conversation about race, even with one another, without becoming angry? Is this why we (White people) have become so obsessed with military weaponry? When all is said and done, who’s winning and who’s losing?

This book is the author’s way of exploring these issues, one at a time. Prejudice, racism, and tribalism are, in a sense, variations on a theme. All people harbor prejudices. Racial prejudices are only one form among many. Raise someone in a racially non-homogeneous society, and similar prejudices are likely to appear. Tribal prejudices are so universal that they probably point to some biological imperative.

What is racism? Is it just one of those things that we know when we see it, or is there value in defining it more precisely? Are all White people racists? Whose definition of critical race theory and/or the so-called great replacement theory do you like?

In a world plagued by racial polarization, A book dares to ask the tough questions.

Words from the Author

The Spotlight Network: welcomes Anthony M. D’Agostino MD, discussing his pivotal book, “Prejudice, Racism, and Tribalism.” Delve into the depths of racial dynamics and how they shape society. Dr. D’Agostino explores racial polarization, probing the challenges of discussing race in white communities, and the link to military obsession. His insights offer a fresh perspective on complex issues.

Have We Become a Racially Homogenous Society?

Being racially abusive has a lot to do with how we condition our generation, through media and at home. Being raised in a homogenous society programs us to become prospective culprits to discrimination.

Concerned where we are drifting as a society?

KIND WORDS FROM OUR READERS

L. Nielson,
Cleveland, Ohio

Prejudice, Racism and Tribalism: A Primer for White People by Anthony D’Agostino, MD, is a thoughtful, frank, and compassionate foray into understanding , race and racism in America today. A psychiatrist born and raised in Chicago, Dr. D’Agostino approaches the heavy work of defining race, racism, prejudice, bias, and tribalism with honesty and wit, using research and his own experiences as a second-generation Italian American as a foundation. Racism, he points out, is profitable. So is fear. Part memoir, part historical survey, Dr. D’Agostino walks the reader through how racism, bias, and tribalism are part of the human experience, yet subjugation of others does not have to be the only way humans can progress.

Prejudice, Racism and Tribalism: A Primer for White People is intended for White Americans seeking to understand today’s current political and racial divides. D’Agostino’s grasp of global history and the actions of all human civilizations from antiquity onward is impressive, and he makes that history accessible to general audience. The book is constructed like a grammar primer, neatly divided into brief chapters that each address a facet of how racism, bias, and tribalism operate in America. Dr. D’Agostino begins with the complexities of finding workable definitions for these terms, pointing out how broad and vague definitions can dilute terminology to the point of being useless. In so doing, he considers different approaches to defining race and racism, and how those definitions may – and may not – fit discrimination against minoritzed groups. D’Agostino emphatically underscores that racism impacts Black Americans in a way that is institutionalized and systemic, and traces the ways in which racism has been constructed historically through the present. He acknowledges that other groups – Asians, Indigenous peoples, women, members of the LGBTQ community – experience discrimination, but questions whether that discrimination is more effectively labeled prejudice and bias. Through these definitions, D’Agostino explores the historical underpinnings of slavery, colonialism, and xenophobia globally and in the US. He weaves pieces of his personal history and that of his family into his discussion, offering questions to the reader that challenge us to honestly examine our own assumptions about who we are and what we would do, given the context.

Within each chapter, D’Agostino also addresses the current moment, particularly how ideals of liberty and freedom have been perverted to manipulate the fears of White Americans. He is scathing in his dissection of how Trump and his fellow Republican elected officials have created an infrastructure of lies to remain in power. The recent attempts to sanitize American history are just one means to nourish long-standing White supremacy, and D’Agostino shows how White supremacy has been carefully nurtured to ensure the current White power structure retains wealth and power.

What makes the book compelling, however, is D’Agostino himself. He writes frankly about growing up in Chicago in a Catholic, Italian family, how his grandparents spoke little to no-English, and his own place as a White American. D’Agostino fully acknowledges his place as a White American, the privileges he has enjoyed, yet also considers how ethnicity contributed to his identity. A life-long Republican, he includes a chapter about how we became a Republican and later left the party as it slid into fascism and groupthink. He analyses why and how that happened, repeatedly returning to the last eight years of increased fear and factionalism. The final three chapters are a call for sanity, as he shows how Trump blustered his way to the brink of a coup on January 6, 2021 through fearmongering, lies, and outright calls for violence.

Prejudice, Racism and Tribalism: A Primer for White People is not an academic study, and there is plenty that the hypersensitive, politically-correct reader will take issue with. If so, that is to their detriment, because this book is a primer for how to do the hard work of examining what it means to be White American. Not for the sake of feeling guilt or shame over the past, as Dr. D’Agostino rightly points out, but how important it is that we understand how we got to the present to stop being complicit now. He invites the reader in by continually asking questions, not in a finger-wagging, preachy way, but as a model for introspection. Throughout the book, Dr. D’Agostino asks himself: What would I have done under those circumstances and in that context? Would I really have done anything differently? We all like to think we would have been ardent abolitionists or are righteously denying our privilege, but would we? Ultimately, D’Agostino reminds the reader that social change is possible with social will; however, without facing our collective history and systems of power, that change will remain out of our grasp.

Book review
by Kate Robinson

"The reader should clearly understand that a divided citizenry is essential for the preservation of great fortunes."

D’Agostino, a psychiatric and behavioral health expert, offers his personal and professional opinions about the differences between racism, prejudice, and tribalism in his book. He clearly explains in the introduction that he is neither a sociologist nor a scholar of racism, nor has he spent years researching and writing about this issue. His interest stems from his viewpoint as a mental health professional looking through the lens of psychiatric concerns with the complex of “motivations and emotionally important belief systems.” To this end, the author primarily examines the trajectory of race relations in his lifetime as he experienced the black-white racial divide, although he also cogently covers the topic historically.

D’Agostino digs deep into defining and examining the various degrees and definitions of racism, as the title suggests. He feels that “an overly broad definition of racism is counterproductive in several ways” due to a tendency to dilute the historical and contemporary impacts of racial prejudice in America. The twenty-two chapters of the volume are dedicated to defining the differences the author perceives between prejudice, racism, and tribalism as related to race and cultural relations. He also examines the similarities in acceptance of or prejudice toward Indigenous people, women, LGBTQ and transgendered people, and the plight of undocumented immigrants from Central and South America in American society.

D’Agostino is clear about his personal experiences during his childhood and coming of age in a conservative Italian Catholic family and how Catholic schools influenced his outlook. Because of his close proximity to Catholicism, the author also delves into the spiritual aspects of racism and prejudice, and he is well-qualified to comment on the differences between the contemporary Catholic viewpoint as contrasted with the contemporary Evangelical Christian viewpoint.

Despite D’Agostino’s humble assessment of his research skills, the narrative has a robust bibliography regardless of the fairly minimal number of citations in the text, so he is clearly interested in other more academically oriented definitive texts. He discusses the work of some highly influential scholars and social justice activists. His discussion of the various permutations of racism and prejudice is highly accessible to the lay reader, who will feel comforted by the matter-of-fact tone one would expect of a trusted counselor or a community elder with great knowledge of this complicated and often uncomfortable and incendiary subject matter.

At times, the author seems a bit distant or cavalier about topics such as slavery, which often elicit either strong guilt or strong denial in White Americans despite the time and distance elapsed since the emergence of colonial conquest and exploitation and the enslavement of Africans and others. In reality, slavery was also practiced concurrently by the most affluent people of nearly all races and cultures in the past. D’Agostino takes the viewpoint that there is no point in feeling guilty for a practice that one did not directly participate in or sanction, nor should anyone feel guilt when they discover a slave owner in their ancestry. Rather, it is shame that can and should be felt, he proposes, and shame may be used as a motivating emotion to improve human society. D’Agostino takes a softer line as he explores the difference between guilt and shame, though he seems somewhat ambiguous about the currently popular concept of reparations, which he sees as not particularly important. That said, D’Agostino is quite clear about the influences of his personal experiences as a Euro-American and is thorough in his thematic explorations, leaving no stone unturned. Readers will feel as if the author’s reasonable stances make him amenable to his own course correction.

The author takes his discussion beyond the usual parameters of race, addressing how prejudice and politics affect economic considerations in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, two topics that are inextricably linked to his experiences as a mental healthcare provider. D’Agostino’s thoughtful, frank manner of writing smooths a pathway to a reasonable and clear discussion of the vast territory covered in his book despite any reservations or disagreements that readers may have with his opinions. The greatest portion of the narrative is logical and reasonable, despite the author’s privilege of birth into a white subculture that ironically struggled with its fair share of prejudice in mid-twentieth-century America. This is not a highly controversial narrative that will shock, exploit, or offend the sensibilities of reasonable readers. Instead, it intends to foster clarity and smooth the rough path ahead toward more hard-earned social change in America.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Kirkus reviews

A psychiatrist explores the legacy of American racism in this second edition of his nonfiction book.
“The problem with America is not that there are too many non-White people,” author D’Agostino asserts. “The problem is that White people are afraid of change and have given up on democracy.” As a white Catholic born in 1940s Chicago, the author notes, he “almost always voted Republican” in Illinois state elections, and he sees himself as “representative of elderly White American males.” After the election of Donald Trump and the growth of the racial justice movement after the death of George Floyd, the author began a journey of self-reflection and contemplation about race in America. The book includes a discussion of how he grappled with Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility (2018), and explicitly offers white readers a “primer” on how America’s racial history continues to affect the present. The book’s emphasis on precise terminology will be useful for readers who are unfamiliar. This well-researched book draws on the work of contemporary academics who challenge the conflation of the term racism with prejudice. Prejudice, they note, refers to an unfavorable opinion towards a group, often based on stereotypes, but racism historically manifests as an institutionalized doctrine through government policy. Much of the book centers on the American history of Black and white people, but D’Agostino also devotes chapters in this updated edition to prejudices against women, immigrants, Muslims, and LGBTQ+ communities.

The author has a solid grasp of U.S. history and uses it to explore such topics as the connection between wartime propaganda and Japanese internment camps, and the role of the eugenics movement in fostering racist policies. Perhaps most convincing is the book’s argument that there’s “both financial and political gain in maintaining inequality, and racial inequality sells best,” noting that for many white men, there’s a “tangible benefit” in preserving the status quo. This is the reason, according to the author, that many white Christians “are willing to give up on democracy” to embrace an “authoritarian government,” as they see as their “only way to preserve their vision of culture.” The book won’t be revelatory for readers who are already aware of the insidious legacy of racism, but it excels at introducing the subject to its intended audience of skeptical white men. Its concluding chapter, “The White Man’s Dilemma,” offers a poignant reflection on the concept of white guilt, highlighting differences between guilt and shame and reminding readers that the purpose of the latter is to “behave better in the present.” D’Agostino admits that he’s not scholar on the subject of racism or prejudice, but his background as a medical doctor and former president of the Illinois Psychiatric Society brings a learned approach, which blends nuanced analysis with a down-to-earth, conversational writing style. The stories of his personal history with race and prejudice may not appeal to those whose backgrounds and identities differ from his, but they may offer a valuable perspective to his target audience.

An accessible introduction to institutional racism in the United States and its ongoing effects.

About The Author

Anthony M. D’Agostino, M.D., earned his medical degree from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine (Chicago). He completed his residency training in psychiatry at the University of Illinois, Chicago; University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and was Chairman of Psychiatry at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village, Illinois and Chief Medical Officer, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, from 1979-2011. He continues in psychiatric practice at Alexian Brothers at time of publication.

Reviews

- R. Kirby

Great book. Highly recommended.

- AJ

The author takes the reader on a methodical and insightful look at the origins and economic necessities that became white privilege and explains why the perpetuation and embracing of these practices still persist to this day, resulting in disproportionate advantages and socio-economic benefits to white people and why many white people do not want to give them up. This book provides a well thought out and logical explanation of why this concept is alive and well today and why the changing demographics of our society is perceived as a major threat to white America's way of life and how these feelings are exploited for political gain. The book begins by defining terms such as: racism, prejudice, tribalism, etc. and how these terms are used and abused in today's lexicon, and observes that this misuse blurs their actual meaning, which can confuse the issue when actual racism occurs. I found this book to be skillfully written with many relevant historical details that help put into context the social unrest and political divides that exist today. The book is thought-provoking, informative and spot-on for anyone trying to make sense of the unsettling climate we live in today, and if willing, the reader may choose to examine their own attitudes and prejudices. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

- Walter Hartoonian

I found that while contemplating a review of this book that in reality, it was uniquely and, in many respects, reviewing me. This is a superior accomplishment in the intellectual and dynamic progression of history, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and hopes of man. Dr. Anthony D’Agostino, M.D., I’m certain had multiple goals, objectives and needs in the process of completing this work. My belief is that after completion, many if not all of these were expanded and enhanced. The book historically, academically and insightfully documents development and progress based on importance and necessity. Historic development of cultural racial discrimination, political and economic influence are critically examined. This information gives meaning and understanding to what is currently happening and evolving. The inclusion of personal experience and narrative of the author presents this as a classical inclusion of most or all elements that perpetuate societies, especially ours. As I was reading the book, I clearly had in mind that it would be a recommended read. However, upon completion of the book, I feel as though it should be a required reading and appropriate to be part of secondary and higher education curricula. The book could be confidently a standard, as the author put it, a primer for the acquisition of knowledge, behavior or as in our present society, an understanding. It also gives hope and opportunity to deal with, “the disturbing confidence of ignorance.

- ryan j davis

My overall take on the book is that I absolutely love it, 5 stars and I will re-read this book because it is so dense with knowledge, wisdom and experience. The book is like a beautiful masterpiece of art with interwoven fascinating historical facts and events. The historical references help further grab the attention of the reader as it's contextualized with life experiences and perspectives from the writer's magnificent mind himself. It is by far a book for the ages.

- Caroline Firrantello

- Mary Ellen Jordan

D’Agostino wants to clear the air by distinguishing between racism, which he defines as a systemic power structure that privileges Whites and disadvantages Blacks, from prejudices and tribal allegiances, which he sees as endemic in every society and, though often hurtful, not supported by embedded established interests and thus not as harmful. Using himself as an example, the author, a psychiatrist and long-time Republican, emphasizes the importance of culture on self-definition along with the ever presence of self-interest in decision making. At the same time, he contends that corporate and Republican interests have learned how to entrench and enrich themselves (pharmaceutical companies and MAGA Republicans being prime examples) by twisting language and playing the race card to skew policy debate, thus tricking Whites into thinking that their economic interests are opposed to Blacks and aligned with corporate profits.

An extra benefit is the author’s uniquely engaging voice—approachable, forthright, and historically informed. This is a one of a kind book.

- Mary Davitt

I found this book to be so interesting and appreciated insights offered that I have never previously contemplated. It’s an intriguing mix of memoir, political exploration and a deep dive into history. I learned a lot and would highly recommend!