The hottest Racial politics Substack posts right now

The idea that abolishing the police was the historic default of left politics is wrong. Treating it as settled history made the debate confused and ahistorical.
The movement grew largely through online networks that produced many loose, ungrounded supporters who lacked political theory and organizing skills. That made it hard to form strategy, resolve disagreements, or sustain pressure.
Nobody agreed on what “defund the police” actually meant, from modest budget reallocation to full abolition, and there were no concrete plans or strategic discipline. Without clear, actionable goals the 2020 energy couldn’t be translated into durable political change.

Powerful politicians and white‑supremacist groups pushed false, dehumanizing stories about Haitian residents in Springfield — like claims they ate pets — and turned local rumors into a national narrative.
That propaganda produced real harm: Nazi marches, threats, doxxing, and federal steps (ending TPS and planned ICE raids) that risk mass deportations and what looks like ethnic cleansing.
Local leaders and communities are organizing to resist, warn, and protect residents, and legal, public, or civic action can still help block or lessen the harm.

Jesse Jackson rose from Martin Luther King Jr.'s circle to national prominence. He ran for president twice and became a major Democratic power broker.
He moved racial identity politics from street protest into corporate boardrooms and university administrations. That shifted identity-based demands into how organizations hire, promote, and set policy.
His approach tied activism to money and political influence, creating a model of profitable racial advocacy later movements have followed. Those practices helped entrench illiberal identity politics with lasting consequences across the political spectrum.

Zohran Mamdani’s agenda is rooted in Critical Race Theory and aims to make racial group outcomes the primary goal of governance, even when that means overruling traditional individual rights. It treats redistribution and expropriation as moral justice rather than ordinary policy trade‑offs.
Critical Race Theory rejects liberal ideas like legal neutrality and absolute private property, arguing that historic racial injustice justifies race‑conscious remedies and limits on property rights. Models like the Freedom Charter are cited as examples that expand redistribution into land and industry.
These ideas are being normalized through elite schooling and key city appointments, shaping how policymakers view property, authority, and policy. Rhetoric about seizing the means of production and staffing tenant offices with activists signals a move from incremental reform toward ideological transformation.

World War II was fought to defend democracy against fascism, and Americans of many races and backgrounds joined the fight to protect the idea that all people are equal.
Fascism rejects equality, concentrates power in dictators, and keeps control by demonizing and excluding people labeled as 'others.'
Today, some leaders are eroding democratic norms and equality, but democracy still gives ordinary people the power to stand up and defend equal rights.

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Democrats are losing popularity because people care more about rising prices than political debates. Many voters prioritize their economic well-being over party loyalty.
Trump has changed the game by uniting different racial groups in his support. His approach shows that diversity can work well in politics, differing from traditional views.
Right-wing populism may be growing in non-traditional ways, with diverse communities supporting it. This reflects a shift in how voters align their beliefs with political parties.

Ibram X. Kendi's antiracism center faced serious management issues and the fall of his reputation raises questions about the integrity of institutions that supported him. Some people feel a sense of schadenfreude, while others see it as a sign that these institutions failed to critically assess what they were promoting.
Critics argue that a central problem is the way ideas about racism and anti-racism have been oversimplified and sensationalized, leading to a pessimistic view of progress in America. This shift has made discussing genuine progress much harder, as some now view racism as an inescapable reality.
The conversation about marriage's role in happiness sparks tension, as some view the emphasis on marriage as a right-wing distraction. However, data suggests that married people report higher satisfaction, indicating that the benefits of marriage should not be easily dismissed in debates about family and societal values.

Kais Saied in Tunisia leverages racial divisions to maintain power, using anti-Black racism and xenophobia to manipulate public opinion.
Saied's exploitation of racial prejudices aims to distract the public from systemic issues like corruption and unemployment, consolidating his power through division.
By weaponizing racism against political opponents and stifling dissent with authoritarian tactics, Saied undermines democracy and centralizes power in his hands.