Honestly, if you’ve ever tried to figure out why we can’t stop talking about race in America, you’ve probably hit a wall. One side says it’s all biology. The other says it’s just a "social construct," which usually feels like a fancy way of saying it’s not real. But it is real. We feel it every day. This is exactly where racial formation Omi Winant comes into play.
Back in 1986, sociologists Michael Omi and Howard Winant dropped a book that basically flipped the script on how we understand our identities. They argued that race isn't something fixed in our DNA, but it’s also not a total illusion. Instead, it’s a "process." It’s constantly being made, destroyed, and remade by the government, the media, and even the way we look at each other in the grocery store.
What is Racial Formation anyway?
Basically, it's the "sociohistorical process" by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed. Think about the US Census. In the 19th century, "Irish" or "Italian" weren't always seen as "white" in the way we think of it now. They had to go through a process of racial formation to be folded into that category.
Omi and Winant say race is a "master category." It’s the template the US uses to organize everything—who gets the bank loan, who gets pulled over, and who gets the benefit of the doubt.
It works on two levels:
- Macro-level: This is the big stuff. Laws, court rulings, and government policies.
- Micro-level: This is you. It’s your individual identity and how you navigate the world.
When these two levels bump into each other, you get what they call a "racial project."
Let’s talk about Racial Projects
This is the meat of the theory. A racial project is just an effort to organize and distribute resources along racial lines. It’s both an interpretation of what race means and an action based on that meaning.
Take "colorblindness." It sounds nice, right? "I don't see color." But Omi and Winant would call that a specific kind of racial project. By pretending race doesn't exist, this project often ignores the actual, physical inequalities that still exist because of past (and current) racism. It’s an interpretation that says "race is over," and the action is to stop supporting programs like affirmative action.
On the flip side, something like the Black Lives Matter movement is also a racial project. It interprets the meaning of Blackness in the context of state violence and acts to change policy.
Why the "Racial State" matters in 2026
The government isn't just a neutral referee. Omi and Winant call it the racial state. From the very first Naturalization Act in 1790 (which said only "free white persons" could be citizens) to modern-day gerrymandering, the state has always been in the business of defining who belongs where.
Even when laws change, the "common sense" of race remains. We’ve all learned the "rules" of racial classification without anyone ever sitting us down for a lesson. It’s just in the air. We see a person’s features and we instantly categorize them. That’s the racial formation process working on a subconscious level.
The Problem with the Old Ways of Thinking
Before these guys came along, most people looked at race through three lenses:
- Ethnicity: Treating race like an immigrant experience where everyone eventually "melts" into one culture. Omi and Winant said this fails because it ignores how some groups were forced into the country while others chose to come.
- Class: Saying it’s all about money. If we fix the economy, racism disappears. They argued race is its own thing—you can't just reduce it to a paycheck.
- Nation: Treating racial groups like separate "nations" within a country.
They pushed back against all of this. They insisted that race is a fundamental axis of social organization in the United States that can't be explained away by something else.
Why this theory is still a big deal
Look at the headlines today. Debates over "woke" culture, immigration, and even AI bias. All of these are sites of racial formation Omi Winant.
When we talk about "the border," we aren't just talking about a fence. We are talking about a racial project that defines who is "American" and who is "illegal." When we talk about "the white working class," we are participating in a project that groups people by skin color rather than just their jobs.
Race is unstable. It’s messy. It’s always shifting. And that’s the point. If race were a biological fact, it wouldn't need so many laws and social cues to keep it in place. The very fact that we have to keep "forming" it proves that it’s a social project, not a natural law.
How to use this knowledge
If you want to actually understand what’s happening in 2026, stop looking for "true" racial definitions. Instead, start looking for the racial projects.
Next time you see a political ad or a viral tweet about race, ask yourself:
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- What is this trying to say about what "race" means?
- Who gains resources or power if we believe this definition?
- How does this connect back to the laws or policies the state is pushing?
Understanding racial formation Omi Winant gives you the "decoder ring" for American politics. It turns a confusing mess of identity into a clear map of power and social struggle.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your media: Notice how different news outlets use racial labels. Are they reinforcing an old "common sense" or trying to build a new racial project?
- Read the source: Pick up the Third Edition of Racial Formation in the United States. It’s been updated to include things like the "War on Terror" and the rise of colorblindness, and honestly, it’s more relevant now than when it was first written.
- Look at local policy: Check your local zoning laws or school board debates. You’ll see racial projects in action, deciding which neighborhoods get the most "resources" based on the "meaning" assigned to the people living there.