Politics, demographics, and White supremacy

In February of 2019 I was invited to record a talk for the PBS show “Blackademics,” and I titled my talk, “Can Democracy Survive Racism?” At the time, my concern was that anti-democratic elements in our societies were using issues of race to divide and in some cases radicalize parts of the electorate. For now, I believe democracy will survive, but this conclusion gives me the opportunity to explore some answers to the dilemmas we are facing for democracy.

The success of far-right politicians in Europe, including Poland and Hungary, has clearly led to an undermining of the free press and judicial oversight. Countries like France and Germany are not currently in danger, as the support for radical right parties there has remained around 15– 20 percent of the electorate but it will be important for under-represented minorities in these countries to feel that they have a voice if democracy is to survive.

The saying goes that demographics is destiny. It is clear that demographic change will continue on both sides of the Atlantic. It is important to acknowledge that racism exists and that it will continue to be a challenge as we struggle with the cultural and economic challenges that will strain the bonds that have held these societies together since World War II. I don't believe that we will face war, but societal upheavals have and will continue to occur whether they come from terror attacks, pandemics, or economic crises.

It was clear to me from my first visit to Europe in 1986 that the issue of race was just as compelling there as it was in the US. As I have shown in this book, many of the ideas that have developed around race were first developed and institutionalized in Europe. The history of racism that led to slavery, genocide, and the Holocaust continues to play a role in attitudes and policies that impact ethnic and racial minorities. These attitudes have continued in new forms, focusing on immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, Muslims in particular, and a willingness to vote for anti-democratic parties who focus on economic and cultural threats.