How Do US Liberals Mainstream White Supremacy?

Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Riverfront Hall (RFH), Room 101

Presentation by Arthur Scarritt: Explanations of overt white supremacy’s recent rise focus on right-wing agents operating in conditions of extreme polarization. But polarization is overstated and oversimplified, people agreeing or not having strong opinions on most subjects. And Democrats have exercised considerable power during this time, including holding the presidency for 11 of the past 15 years. That is, the role of Democrats and their core political philosophy need to be interrogated for their influence on white supremacy. This presentation addresses how the ostensibly inclusive Democratic pillars of (1) meritocracy – everyone has a chance to succeed – and (2) rule-by-the-best-and-brightest technocracy – everyone realizes smart optimal outcomes, result in forms of alienation that push people towards adopting white supremacist beliefs.

The Institute for Advancing American Values sponsor this event as part of their “Day of Dialogue” lecture series. This event is co-hosted by the Department of Sociology.