Does Racism Have a Birthday?

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Where did racism come from—and can we name the moment it began? In this episode of American Socrates, we explore Ibram X. Kendi’s powerful argument that racism isn’t rooted in ignorance or fear, but in self-interest. According to Kendi, racist ideas were invented to justify exploitation—especially the Atlantic slave trade—and only later dressed up as bad science and false moral claims.

We trace the origins of anti-Black racism through Kendi’s historical lens, asking how economic power created the need for a racial hierarchy—and why that matters today. If racism was invented to serve a purpose, then fighting it means more than changing minds—it means changing systems.

This episode challenges the common belief that ignorance leads to racism, and invites you to rethink what you thought you knew about prejudice, profit, and power.

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