Carol Anderson on Impeachment, Democracy, and White Supremacy in the ‘Washington Post’

Dr. Carol Anderson recently authored an op-ed for The Washington Post, titled “Impeachment is the latest chapter in the battle between democracy and white supremacy.” Anderson, an expert in race, justice, and equality in the U.S., surveys key episodes from U.S. history that contextualize Donald Trump’s reaction to the recently-initiated impeachment investigation. She concludes that “When it comes to a nation held hostage to racism, we have been here before.” Professor Anderson is Associated Faculty in the History Department, Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies, and Chair of African American Studies. She is also the author, most recently, of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2018). Read an excerpt of the article below along with the full piece here.

“Since the nation’s founding, the refusal to believe in democracy and follow through on the nation’s ideals — equality and freedom — has been the nation’s consistent enemy. Time and time again, white supremacists have sacrificed these principles to advance their own interests and that of their white supporters. Trump has followed suit, adding the disregard for the rule of law to the list. When challenged, he has also invoked the strategy white supremacist leaders have also mastered: threats of violence and extortion.”  – Carol Anderson