Social psychological research into racism has, to date, concerned itself mainly with racism as a form of prejudice. Different approaches to the study of racism have thus originated in understandings and theorizing of prejudice more generally. A particular focus of such work has been the apparent decline, within contemporary society, of instances of what might readily be recognized or treated as prejudice in public settings, and the explanation for this decline in, or absence of, explicit prejudice. Recent events, however, especially in the United States and United Kingdom, but also elsewhere, have been marked by overt concerns with racism. These events, public debate, and counterarguments, all suggest that concerns with race and racism have become more manifest in present society. It is this context that provides the background for this special section.