White supremacy is the belief that white people are better than those of other races, making it a type of racism. It also includes actions that prevent other races from gaining power, which is known as white privilege, preserving that power for white people. The basis of white supremacy is the former erroneous belief that significant biological differences existed between people of different races. Although this belief focused heavily on the so-called Black inferiority in and around the slavery era, white supremacy historically and currently oppresses people of many races around the globe, especially indigenous peoples. Furthermore, definitions of who qualifies as white can vary.
This type of racism paved the way for racist hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), the attempt by the self-named Confederate States of America to secede from the Union, and various race riots or massacres, including that in Greenwood, Oklahoma. White supremacy has also been solidified in American legislature through laws such as those preventing Black people from owning property, voting, holding office, and marrying (either at all or those of other races). In the 20th century, Jim Crow laws, which forced racial segregation, upheld the ideology of white supremacy. While laws have changed, institutions and individuals can still promote white supremacy up to and including racist violence.
This idea is closely related to white nationalism, in which being white becomes an identity. Supporters of white nationalism may endorse overthrowing the government to uphold their power. Overlap also exists between white supremacy and racist skinheads who discriminate against Jewish people. Some Christian beliefs and doctrines also align with white supremacy. White (male) supremacy can play a role in domestic terrorism incidents such as shootings like the one in Buffalo, New York.
While Donald Trump was president, this movement gained popularity, with as many as 600 groups currently existing in the United States, members of which typically supported Trump.
Although there is disagreement about how we can dismantle white supremacy, some white supremacists eventually see the error of their ways.
All of our articles, exhibits, and events about white supremacy can be found in the archive below.
Posts Tagged ‘White Supremacy’
It’s Time to Ring the Alarm About White Nationalism
The media reports on Islamic terrorism and individual ambushes of police, but it has largely overlooked increasingly brazen demonstrations and violence by the Far Right, treating each as a separate unconnected episode. But are they? In the last year, the level of violence has ramped up dramatically.
Read MoreMore than 30 purported ‘White Student Unions’ pop up across the country
As of Tuesday morning, there are roughly 30 Facebook pages purporting to represent some form of a “White Students Union,” all of which were created within the past few days.
Read MoreMemphis, Tenn., Votes to Exhume Body of Confederate General, KKK Leader Buried in City Park
Memphis, Tenn., city leaders unanimously voted on Tuesday night to exhume the body of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader who is buried in the city’s Health Sciences Park, and move him to a private cemetery.
Read More“Spies of Mississippi” on PBS on February 10, 2014
Dawn Porter’s documentary about an organization created in Mississippi to spy on citizens and preserve white supremacy is available on PBS.
Read MoreA Reminder of Black Heroism
By Rhonesha Byng, HuffingtonPost.com In a world where two men were insensitive enough to dress up as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman for a Halloween party, and a black college student is arrested at a high-end luxury department store for buying a belt, this teen’s story will restore your faith in humanity. In a series on…
Read MoreYes, They’re White and Muslim
The Boston-bombing suspects show that it’s time the media and the public redefined their view of Islam. By Edward Wyckoff Williams, theRoot.com The American story has too long been told through a racial lens and always vis-à-vis “whiteness.” This is a dangerous premise — fortifying the principles of white supremacy, entirely incongruent with the nation’s democratic…
Read MoreConfederate past: Uproar over changing park names
by Adrian Sainz, Associated Press, theGrio.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The statue of Confederate fighter Nathan Bedford Forrest astride a horse towers above the Memphis park bearing his name. It’s a larger-than-life tribute to the warrior still admired by many for fiercely defending the South in the Civil War — and scorned by others for…
Read MoreHate Groups: Preparing for an Obama Win? Interviews with a White Supremacist and a Hate-Group Expert
Racist groups don’t want to see a Black man in the Oval Office, and they’re prepared to fight, win or lose.
Read MoreThe Sound of Hate
White power groups are thriving under a shroud of secrecy, unbeknownst to many, until they commit acts of violence.
Read MorePolitical Parties in Black and White
How the first African American voters started out with the Republican Party – and how most ended up voting with the Democratic Party today.
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