Carliss Chatman on White Economic Comfort & the Myth of Free Markets

Authors

• Jonathan Feingold, Boston University School of LawFollow
• Carliss Chatman, Southern Methodist University

Program

#RaceClass

Episode

63

Episode Length

1:08:11

Media Type

Podcast

Release Date

5-10-2026

Publisher

WNHN

Language

en-US

Abstract

SMU Law Professor Carliss Chatman joined the #RaceClass podcast to discuss DEI "rollbacks" and the rise of "reverse racism" lawsuits from private actors and the Trump administration. We do a deep dive into Section 1981 and the myth of "free markets" -- with a specific nod to "white economic comfort," a term Professor Chatman coined to capture a powerful dyanmic that continues to drive who can enter and benefit from capitalist systems free from racial discrimination and exclusion.

Recommended Citation

Jonathan Feingold & Carliss Chatman, Carliss Chatman on White Economic Comfort & the Myth of Free Markets (2026).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/raceclass/19