A strong concept is being addressed; it is believed that “white fear” has shaped American democracy and society. Evidence of this philosophy has been outlined in the new book, “WHITE FEAR: How the Browning of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds,” co-written by Roland S. Martin and Leah Lakins.
According to Martin, a nationally recognized journalist and digital media mogul, white fear must be neutralized through understanding. He collaborated with BenBella Books to produce a physical torch; to guide the collective community toward a light of clarity, highlighting the presence of white fear within society and democracy.
The book was published on Sept. 13, Martin explained tackling white fear head-on, would necessitate hard, uncomfortable discussions about systematic racism and other gruesome facts found at the root of America.
Some of the factors that contribute to white fear were seen in the support behind the questionable judgement of Donald Trump. Subsequently, there has been a “flood of restrictive voting laws disproportionately impacting people of color,” cited by Martin.
Martin equates the strong opposition toward Black Lives Matter movements or a public display of taking a knee, to evidence of white fear.
According to the co-authors of the book, “White Fear examines how for two centuries, the deep-seated fear that many white people feel — of losing power, of losing economic standing, of losing a particular ‘way of life’— has been a driving force behind American politics and culture.”
Through this novel, Martin provides a series of possible outlooks of what is to come, noting the reality of a possible violent clash. He probes this fate, in order determine an alternative solution. For over a decade, Martin has seen this on the horizon, this book could be a steppingstone for the country to pivot from this fate.
Reflecting on the birth of this country, he ties together the actions of Tea Party Movement and the diminished optimism of white Americans. Martin looks to reveal the bigger picture of what will happen in America over the course of the next few generations and suggests a better course of action.
“The attack on the US Capitol was the work of white domestic terrorists. This has nothing to do with economic anxiety. It’s all about the fear of Black and other minority voices asserting their power at the ballot box and in other areas of minority life,” said Martin, within the official press release.
As an award-winning journalist, he has authored “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road To The White House,” and “Speak Brother! A Black Man’s View of America and Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith.”