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166 The One and the Many
globalism, neglects the all- important distinction between theory and practice.
Surely, in this view, the po liti cally institutionalized racism of this period
reveals the bad faith behind the expressed willingness of Americans to accept
an equality abroad that they found unacceptable within their own borders,
for without at least the possibility of universalism at home the global pursuit
of human equality was hopelessly flawed at its core. If true, that would be a
devastating indictment. But as the next chapter will show, the domestic politics
of race was quite complicated and left room in practice for the eventual
achievement of racial equality. More surprisingly, perhaps, the idea of equality
discussed in this chapter even enjoyed a modicum of success during these
years.