Is Everyone Really Equal?

This is the long-awaited third edition of the bestselling, multi-award–winning introduction to foundational concepts in social justice education.

Accessible to students from high school through graduate school, this comprehensive resource addresses the most common stumbling blocks to understanding social justice. In response to the deep divides in public discourse, this edition provides a framework for reaching common ground on issues of justice within a pluralistic democracy.

The authors have updated statistics, research, and examples, and revised discussion questions and extension activities to guide classroom dialogue and engagement with today’s complex issues. New topics include the science of sex and gender, and the political backlash against equity and racial justice efforts. The authors trace the roots of white supremacy globally in the history of colonialism. Concepts such as oligarchy, kleptocracy, and capitalism’s relationship to democracy are introduced and discussed.

Is Everyone Really Equal? is an up-to-date and engaging textbook and professional development resource that includes many user-friendly features, examples, vignettes, and activities to not just define but illustrate key concepts.

Book Features:

• User-friendly features such as accessible language, “definition boxes” to reinforce concepts, “perspective checks” to acknowledge multiple viewpoints, and “stop boxes” that anticipate and address common points of resistance.
• A glossary that includes an explanation of social justice language and its complexities and changes over time.
• Discussion questions, extension activities, and exercises for book groups and classroom study.
• An accessible resource for instructors in disciplines including education, sociology, political science, criminal justice, nursing, social work, health sciences, gender and sexuality studies, and race and ethnic studies in the United States and Canada.

Robin DiAngelo is an affiliate associate professor of education at the University of Washington and author of Seeing Whiteness: The Essential Essays of Robin DiAngelo. Özlem Sensoy is professor of education and inaugural director of the Cassidy Centre for Educational Justice at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.

“How can we find common ground about hot-button equity issues in an increasingly polarized society? In this masterful dive into contemporary debates, DiAngelo and Sensoy equip readers with a robust toolbox for examining their own beliefs, engaging in dialogue, hearing where others are coming from, and enacting a moral commitment to social justice.”
—Christine Sleeter, author of Critical Multicultural Education and professor emerita, California State University, Monterey Bay

“DiAngelo and Sensoy have created an essential guide that transforms complex social justice theory into an accessible and actionable understanding. This book doesn't just explain how systems of oppression work; it equips readers with the critical thinking tools and practical strategies needed to challenge them effectively. The authors juxtapose rigorous analysis and real-world application to make difficult concepts comprehensible without sacrificing depth or nuance. For anyone serious about understanding power, privilege, and inequality in our society, this is indispensable reading that moves beyond good intentions toward informed, meaningful action.”
—Roland Sintos Coloma, professor and associate dean, Wayne State University and vice president, Curriculum Studies Division, American Educational Research Association

"This new edition is critical for readers who want to grasp the manifestations of racist power, of privilege, of inequity—not just in theory, but as a foundation for taking purposeful, effective action."
—Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist