ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the momentous and divisive clash between African Americans and white nationalists in the US today. The struggle for security for African Americans continues today. In the 2016 presidential contest, white nationalism was exploited by Donald J. Trump, and his campaign style emboldened some white voters when it came to talking about immigrants or African Americans. The civil rights movement led the charge to expand voting rights and explicitly banned practices that intimidated voters, with violators subject to fines and imprisonment. Candidates developed the “Southern Strategy,” a defense of states’ rights and, in addition, sought limits on supports for a dependent population, a code word for African Americans. White nationalism in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s was fueled by two linked issues on the local level: concerns regarding school integration and the end of segregated housing.
