“White Protectionism” is White Supremacy: A Bait and Switch as Old as History – By Anthony DiMaggio (Counterpunch) / May 26, 2023
In recognition of the institutional political biases operating against people of color, the NAACP has issued a travel advisory against Florida, lamenting Governor Ron DeSantis’s “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.” The organization bluntly declares that “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans…before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”
As the NAACP recognizes, modern racism looks very different than the blatant white supremacy that dominated America during the era of the Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow segregation. Almost no one identifies as a racist today, even as tens of millions of Americans embrace racial stereotypes and support political, economic, and social systems that systematically discriminate against people of color. Despite this rampant denialism, America has a white supremacy problem. It’s apparent when we look at prominent pundits like Tucker Carlson, who until recently enjoyed a mass platform at Fox News to mainstream his racism. It’s clear in state politics, with GOP officials leading a vicious waragainst tenure and against academics spotlighting racism, sexism, and homophobia. It’s clear in national politics, with the GOP promoting “great replacement” propaganda and with a former president who demonizes immigration from Mexico, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, while romanticizing Confederate symbols and immigration from Northern Europe.
Despite the successes of the civil rights movement and Black Lives Matter in stigmatizing overt racism, it’s long been established practice in America to defend white supremacist values through the language of “protectionism.” We should remember this when modern racists pretend the U.S. has transcended racism, even as they embrace stereotypes against immigrants and people of color and as they mainstream white nationalist talking points via the language of “protecting” Americans from immigrants. The protectionist paradigm is displayed in numerous ways in U.S. political culture, by Republican political leaders, rightwing media pundits, high-profile academics, and much of the public.
