White Fear: How the Browning of America Is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds

In White Fear, journalist and political commentator Roland S. Martin draws upon his understanding of sociopolitical currents to unveil the roots of Trumpism and hysteria about the certainty of America’s changing racial and ethnic makeup. Martin, a CNN host during the Obama administration, recounts widespread platitudes about a “post-racial” country, which were immediately followed by a backlash against Black people, immigrants, and others scapegoated by White conservatives. In examining how the media talks about the White working class, Martin exposes racist and classist tropes used in mainstream discourse to alienate and divide.

White Fear echoes similar sentiments shared by other scholars and authors about the attitudes and actions of White Americans intended to ward off the inevitability of the US becoming a majority-minority country. Martin’s approach is straightforward with a palpable sense of urgency and clear-eyed cynicism about race relations in this country. Throughout history, White Americans have either actively supported racist policies or stood by as spectators to injustice. Martin’s point of view as a member of the media offers him a perch from which to exclaim the biases of colleagues in the field. The author’s call-to-action is for Black and White Americans alike to recognize their own agency in taking a stand against racial hatred.