Awhile back I posted about Hillbilly Elegy, a book that has gotten a lot of attention and raised a lot of hackles. Author J.D. Vance tells the story of his upbringing in Ohio, and of his forbears and other family members’ roots in Appalachia.
The people Vance describes initially thrived in industrial Ohio, but eventually hit hard times once the rust belt started rusting back in the 70s. A lot of ink’s been spilled over how his book might explain why some Americans support Donald Trump. That Vance’s Elegy explains the newly fabled forgotten white working class’ alienation and resentment, particularly toward a group that they (cued by Roger Ailes) describe as elites. Liberals. Globalists. Davos Conference goers.
The First White President is just one essay from Coates’ new collection.
I liked the book and found it valuable even though I don’t agree with all the author’s conclusions. I thought it was a well-written description of one particular part of the American experience, but if you ask me, all the political pundits theorizing that the election was all about a disenfranchised white working class are way off base. A factor probably, but THE factor, no. (And it should be noted, Vance didn’t write it to explain about the election, but to tell his family’s story.)
I think there were a lot of factors, and some are horribly ugly and difficult to confront and own up to. Which brings me to a loooonnnnng piece in The Atlantic by Ta-Nehisi Coates called The First White President. Coates argues very compellingly that Trump’s victory was about a standing effort—sometimes overt, others more subtle—to enforce white supremacy. (There’s also a really good rebuttal by one of the people Coates took to task that is also online at The Atlantic.)
I think it’s a strong piece—even though, or maybe because—it made me squeamish and defensive sometimes. My disagreement with it is that Coates believes it’s only about race, and he excludes other factors (but I think that probably helped him make his point).
So, as with Elegy, I didn’t agree with everything in The First White President; but it helped me see what Coates sees, and what the world looks like to many black people.
I hope you’ll read it, too, and that like me, even if you don’t agree with everything, you’ll learn something.
I also read Hillbilly Elegy and found his description of the effects of the rust belt loss of jobs and tax base on towns especially interesting since I come from there. And it is my recollection that all the good union jobs that helped form the middle class has been eroding for a long time and has hurt the black blue collar workers as well as the white blue collar worker.
Al–completely agree with your take. I liked the book, but I thought he chose to blame the people who lost the most instead of looking at economic issues that caused the problem. My dad worked for Youngstown Sheet & Tube, which became LTV. All that rapacious “Wall Street” style takeover stuff killed a lot of jobs and worse, literally robbed pensions.
I also read Hillbilly Elegy. I did gain a better understanding of the people who settled there and stayed there. I will take a look at the Atlantic article hoping to learn more!
Inspite of discomfort (and a bit of fear) I read the article twice…. thank you, MIke. There was never any doubt about Trump’s ‘whiteness’, but I failed to follow it into the depth of history. Like millions of others I stayed on the surface. I am grateful that you shared this article.
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