The Dynamics of Race and Class and Their Effects on the Life Chances of African Americans

This paper examines the use of two different approaches to the study of race relations in America. It takes a historical view of some key race relations studies and shows how they were rooted in a Eurocentric approach. An Afrocentric approach is then employed to show how the utilization of an alternative perspective can yield different results. It was found that a Eurocentric approach tends to focus on a linear analysis while an Afrocentric approach looks for intersections. Specifically, rather than focusing exclusively on race, Affocentrism concentrates on the <i>intersection</i> of race and class.