Topics with racial implications have been hotly debated in the psychological literature for most of this century and are often in the news. Graham Richards takes a historical look at how the concepts of "race" and "racism" emerged within the discipline and charts the underlying premises of some famous studies in their social and political contexts. No-one is allowed to be objective in this arena, as opponents will always argue that they are not. This account is bound therefore to be controversial and excite interest whether or not readers agree with Richards' stance.