Racial Identity Threats and White Democrats’ Support for Racial Justice Protests

• In Event: Divided by Racial Attitudes? The Changing Politics of White Americans

Abstract

In recent years, observers have noted an apparent increase in racially progressive attitudes among White Democrats. Among journalists, this “great awokening” of White Democrats is practically taken as a political fact. However, what this consensus about the racial liberalism of White Democrats often overlooks is that while White Democrats have in many ways moved in line with the Democratic Party’s position on race and racial inequality, their White identity makes them vulnerable to racial identity threats. In this study, I test this potential for racial identity-driven backlash among White Democrats in the context of racial justice protests movements. To do this, I use a survey experiment in which respondents are exposed to an image from a racial justice protest, and I vary the messaging on the signs in the image as well as the race of the protesters. I find that when protesters use messaging that is critical of Whites and Whiteness, White Democrats’ support for the movement and the protesters declines. Additionally, such messaging causes respondents to distance themselves from the views of the protesters and raises concerns about violence erupting at the protests. These results underscore how White Democrats’ support for racially liberal political messages and political movements can be conditional, especially when their identity feels threatened.

Author

• Rachel Lienesch, Vanderbilt University