Abstract
In his 1944 article, Prospect of a World Without Racial Conflict, W.E.B. DuBois hypothesized that we would never live in a world without racial division. With this in mind, we highlight how neoliberal ideologies promote policy, actions, and an idea of peace that upholds racial inequality in the United States. We consider how neoliberal tenants, such as free market trust and individual responsibility, reflect and promote misperceptions of racial conflict and impact colorblind perceptions of peace and justice. These perceptions promote definitions of conflict as physical violence versus systemic violence, ignores racial equality as a path to peace in favor of harmonious interaction, and highlights individuals as responsible for racial conflict as opposed to the system. In response, we argue for counter definitions of peace that explicitly acknowledges systemic violence and prioritizes justice within the racial conflict context.