Blackfellas, Whitefellas, and the Hidden Injuries of Race

Winner of the Gleebook Prize for Literary and Cultural Criticism

In December 1997| in a small town in rural Australia| a fight broke out among local Aborigines that turned into a full-blown riot when police intervened with force. In “Blackfellas| Whitefellas| and the Hidden Injuries of Race| ” anthropologist Gillian Cowlishaw uses this vivid incident as a means of launching a larger discussion about race| identity| and racialized violence. In this lively| highly readable ethnography| Cowlishaw brings indigenous Australians into the contemporary global race discourse – a discourse largely dominated to date by discussions of African Americans and American Indians in the United States. Cowlishaw’s work broadens and enriches discussions of the dramas of a racialized world.

Cowlishaw’s style is known for its clarity| verve| and accessibility. Written both for beginners and those well-versed in contemporary debates| “Blackfellas| Whitefellas| and the Hidden Injuries of Race “introduces new readers to key theories of race relations and offers more seasoned readers her fresh perspective on racial and Aboriginal politics.