ABSTRACT
In this current political climate, white supremacist rhetoric and calls to “make America great (read white) again” have become normalized with politicians and the media often relying on racial dog whistles that both enable race talk and also ensure silence about race. Utilizing critical race theories such as Haney López’s racial dog whistles and problematic white-centering stories, the author suggests that while The Best of Enemies and BlacKkKlansman are not themselves racist, neither are they actively employed in antiracist work. The Best of Enemies is another version of the racial reconciliation film, but in this case the “progressive” white character is a member of the KKK. The Best of Enemies (set in 1971) and BlacKkKlansman (set in 1972) bring up the issue of representations of white supremacy as linked to a historical past we have left behind, where ignorant white Southerners who didn’t know better were the cause for racism.
