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This essay relies on the historical insights of Black feminism and racial capitalism to better understand how capitalism has incorporated care as an institutionalized, hierarchical, profit‐oriented system which contributes to social and economic inequality. There is a long history of profit extraction and labor exploitation from the care economy in US racial capitalism, particularly when Black and Brown workers and communities are involved. Because of neoliberal restructuring and the middle‐class care crisis over the last few decades, this form of capital accumulation increasingly became a hallmark of the US economy. The care economy illustrates exploitation from care labor as well as from the bodies of people being cared for. The importance of the care economy also creates new opportunities for resistance and creating alternative, nonhierarchical and anticapitalist forms of caring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the intersection of racial capitalism and care, emphasizing how capitalism profits from social reproduction rooted in slavery and racial capitalism. It challenges the notion of care as solely a social good, highlighting its potential for exploitation and profit. The text explores the role of the state, markets, and nonprofits in perpetuating the for-profit care economy, questioning the distinction between public and private sectors. It calls for a transformative care agenda that prioritizes radical, collective care outside of capitalist frameworks. [Extracted from the article]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Dána-Ain Davis's "Reproductive Injustice," highlighting issues of Black women's maternal health and reproductive justice.