White Fear has shaped our democracy and society from the
beginning--and today, it's more intense and visible than ever. To
neutralize it, we must first understand it.
For two centuries, the deep-seated fear that many White people feel--of
losing power, of losing economic standing, of losing a particular "way
of life"--has been the driving force behind American politics and
culture.
White Fear enabled the rise of Donald Trump. It's behind the recent
flood of restrictive voting laws disproportionately impacting people of
color. It's why reactions to movements like Black Lives Matter and
football players taking a knee have been so negative and so strong.
As we approach a future where White people will become a racial the
minority in the US, something estimated to occur as early as 2043, that
fear is only intensifying, festering, and becoming more visible. Are we
destined for a violent clash? What can we do to step into our country's
inevitable future, without tearing ourselves apart in the process?
Nationally renowned journalist and award-winning author Roland Martin
has been sounding this alarm for more than a decade. In White Fear, he
provides a primer on how White Fear has shaped, and continues to shape,
our democracy and our culture. He connects the separate puzzle pieces,
from the Tea Party Movement to the decline of White American optimism to
the diminishing blue-collar workforce, to illuminate the larger picture
of what will unfold in America over the next decade-plus, and offers a
better way forward.
If we want to create the kind of country that we're all welcome in and
proud to live in, we can no longer ignore White Fear. We must learn to
recognize, understand, and dismantle it.
And as the last few years have shown, we don't have any time to lose.
