“White” will remain an important analytical construct as long as racial exclusion and oppression remain salient in U.S. domestic and world affairs. Shifting demographics in the United States and increasing migrations of people on a global scale have already begun to destabilize white cultural and political hegemonies in the United States and abroad. Given this global context, the continued deconstruction of normative whiteness will remain essential to the creation of truly liberatory identities, knowledges, and collaborative strategies aimed at social and political transformation. Whether this ongoing work will open possibilities for progressive change or be met with retrenchments of white identity and privilege will be critical subjects for future research and activism.

This is an excerpt from Pamela Perry’s entry in Keywords for American Cultural Studies (p. 246).