- Why do you think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?
During the late 1950s, racist southern politicians used carefully chosen rhetoric to defend their use of racial segregation. At the same time, after the case of Brown v. Board of Education, civil rights activists had a hands-on approach to force unwilling Southern states to desegregate their schools and other public spaces. However, according to Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow “southern governors and law enforcement officials often characterized these tactics as criminal and argued that the rise of the Civil Rights Movement was indicative of a breakdown of “law and order” (Alexander 40). This quote indicates that Southern governors and law enforcement believed that the tactics taken by the Civil Rights activists were against the law and must be stopped because their actions are putting their community in danger. If you are a supporter of this movement then you must also be supporting crime.
This action was strategic because words coming from political leaders holds power. These politicians used fear mongering by calling the Civil Rights movement an issue of “law and order.” White Southerners believed their lives were at risk and thus reacted negatively to the supporters of the movement, as well as desegregation. Fear can serve as a motivator which is why it tends to be such a successful strategy. People who use this tool often make bold declarations to stir up feelings of concern, making it hard for others to see the situation from another perspective. Fearmongers, especially those in politics, use this method to claim that a person or event goes against everything they stand for. For example, Alexander states that “for more than a decade—from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s— conservatives systematically linked opposition to civil rights legislation to calls for law and order, arguing that Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of civil disobedience was a leading cause of crime.” This quote proves that politicians used the rhetoric of “law and order” to blame Martin Luther King Jr. for criminal acts while in tandem, making white Southerners fearful of those crimes. Therefore, this justifies keeping segregation because the black community is committing criminal acts. Alexander added that segregationists felt that “integration causes crime, citing lower crime rates in Southern states as evidence that segregation is necessary.” This choice of words gives the Southern politicians and segregationist the advantage of holding on to segregation with the explanation of the lower crime rates in southern areas that don’t integrate their schools, and other public places.
Segregationists and politicians used this divisive rhetoric to their advantage, especially since the civil rights movement was depicted as a threat to “law and order” in the media. Alexander confirms that “the FBI was reporting fairly dramatic increases in the national crime rate” (Alexander 41). Even though there was extraordinarily little evidence of the accuracy of these statements, it was publicly depicted as a dangerous movement in the media, and people began to believe it as fact. Instead of allowing people to produce their own personal consensus, politicians and segregationists used fear tactics to sway impressionable and racist people into believing that the Civil Rights Movement was the reason for the rise in crime. Unfortunately exploiting the fears of others is common amongst both politicians and the media to spread lies and embellishments to generate panic. Just like Alexander’s mention of presidential candidate Barry Goldwater whose presidential campaign “aggressively exploited the riots and fears of black crime, laying the foundation for the “get tough on crime” movement that would emerge years later” (Alexander 41).
- Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.
It is said that the Southern Strategy was the beginning of the racial and political divide the United States faces today. Originally, presidents like Richard Nixon used this method by appealing to Southern segregationists by using the rhetoric of “law and order” to criminalize black people and win the White House in the late 60s. Alexander references to Nixon’s advisor stating that “he [President Nixon] emphasized that you have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the blacks” (Alexander 42). She also mentions
well-known segregationist George Wallace, quoting him saying “the same Supreme Court that ordered integration and encouraged civil rights legislation” was now “bending over backwards to help criminals” (Alexander 42).
Similar sentiments may be remembered by the current generation when former president Donald Trump ran for office. During his presidential run in 2016, Trump used coded language and racial paranoia with his speech about a possible Muslim ban, the mass deportation of immigrants, his vulgar and unsettling descriptions of Mexicans, and building a wall for which the country of Mexico will pay for. His message had appealed to people who saw the transformation of the United States and became increasingly anxious about the changes taking place, especially when it came to the present visibility of both people of color and women. His slogan “Make America Great-Again” takes the country back to a time where minorities were frequently put in their place and white men experienced privilege and were predominantly in charge.
There are numerous examples about how Trump has used a modern-day version of the Southern Strategy. He warned the country that if Joe Biden became president the suburbs would be overflown with low-income housing, which is generally the rhetoric politicians use for people of color. He warned the country about a caravan of dangerous immigrants making their way to the United States border, using fear mongering to scare his supporters into becoming more fearful of people with a Hispanic background. Furthermore, when a group of neo-Nazis marched down the streets of Charlottesville, with one driving over and killing a protester of the marchers, he is reported saying there were “very fine people on both sides.” What I gather from his statement is that he wanted to publicly admit his support for the neo-Nazi’s without saying it forthright. Additionally, he has used the term “China Virus” to describe the 2019 coronavirus pandemic that has supposedly originated in Wuhan China. This rhetoric has caused a slew of xenophobic attacks on people of the Asian community. He has also condemned those who support the Black Lives Matter movement calling them a “symbol of hate,” as well as “thugs and criminals.” It is also reported that he ordered law enforcement and the military to rough up protesters after the killing of George Floyd and has frequently referred to himself as the “law and order president.” These actions and so much more, serve as evidence that the Southern Strategy is alive and well and didn’t die out when Richard Nixon resigned from office.
