White supremacy and the American media

Abstract

The introduction begins with a discussion of the dominant theories of white supremacy as studied and analyzed within the field of critical race studies. The 2020 US presidential election revealed a country deeply polarized along racialized lines. The election and presidency of the first African-American, Barack Obama, led many to claim that the United States had reached a point of postraciality—a time in which racial and ethnic differences were no longer socially or politically salient. Racial anxiety as a buzzword, to mention a serious concern, seems to have replaced postracialism in the news and media sites. The perceived loss of power by many whites, combined with the significant rhetorical and political impact of the Tea Party, enabled Trump to make explicit appeals to racial resentment, the religious intolerance, and white identity in a way prior Republican presidential candidates were unwilling.