playing the race card
Invoking racial grievance
Playing the race card means invoking race or racism in an argument, especially when critics believe race is irrelevant to the issue at hand.
The phrase is almost always pejorative, used by those who think the invocation is manipulative or deflecting: He lost the debate, so he played the race card.
Those accused of playing the race card often counter that dismissing racial concerns is itself a rhetorical tactic.
- race relationsSocial interactions across ethnicities
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- tokenismSuperficial inclusion efforts
bad faith argument · reverse racism · scapegoating · activism · logical fallacy · framing · anti-racism · misrepresentation · emotional appeal · divisiveness · virtue signaling · political correctness · cancel culture · culture war · dismissiveness · dog whistle politics · race baiting · persuasion
playing the race cardtaking responsibility
playing the race cardcivil discourse
Respectful exchange of views
Socratic questioning · finding common ground · bridge-building
played, player, players, playful, playing, raced, racing, racer, racers