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Bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi spoke at two events on Friday: a ticketed appearance at the downtown Texas Tribune Festival and a free event for invited guests at Huston-Tillotson University in East Austin.
Credit: Ellington Tough
The Austin Free Press and Huston-Tillotson Enterprise Journalism Project hosted the second event, with Austin Free Press Executive Director Alberta Phillips and HT chaplain Reverend Marcus Jones asking Kendi about his latest book, “Chain of Ideas.” Although the book addresses global politics, Kendi drove home its local implications.
Kendi hit the national scene in 2016 with his most acclaimed book: “Stamped From the Beginning.” Ten years later, the Howard University professor told audience members that “Chain of Ideas” is “in many ways a sequel” to “Stamped.” “The narrative of that (earlier) book ends in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama,” Kendi explained, which is where “Chain of Ideas” begins.
But “Chain of Ideas” traces a distinct path. Instead of focusing on racism in the United States, like his previous books, Kendi’s new work turns to the rest of the world. In many countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia, he identifies politicians promoting “great replacement theory,” a conspiracy theory that falsely warns of Brown, Black, Muslim, or immigrants of color crowding out once-majority populations. Populists exploit doubts about immigration — even in areas with minimal immigration rates.
“This theory is being pushed by the wealthiest people in this country, and frankly, by the wealthiest around in the world,” Kendi said. “These are people who are robbing middle- and low-income people blind, through their policies, through their regulations, through their corporations. If you can rob people, and then make them believe they’re being robbed, let’s say, by Black people, or Brown people, or Muslims — and then, in addition to that, you can get them to look to you for protection — you’re going to better be able to continue to rob people.”
This paradox of people “consenting to their own domination” was a central impetus for Kendi’s new book. His research to understand why they do so “led me down the road to great replacement theory,” he said.
He found so many political parties and leaders utilizing great replacement theory that he was forced to cull about half his manuscript to condense it into a book of 500 pages. Those pages trace a litany of politicians who have embraced this ideology, including in Germany, Brazil, and the United States.
Close to Home
Kendi said replacement theory cultivates “electoral dictatorships” around the world — including Texas. He said that officials such as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who took office in 2012, and Greg Abbott, governor since 2015, maintain power by manipulating “citizens into acting against their own interests.”
Austin has been the backdrop to two pronatalism conferences, whose followers believe that falling U.S. and European fertility rates threaten civilization. Often, natalists bemoan falling White populations to incite fears that immigrants will replace them, Kendi said.
Kendi said that historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) such as HT and Howard University are crucial foils to great replacement theory.
“People at HBCUs have not stopped doing their jobs,” Kendi said. “At other institutions, people are leery about teaching that book by that Black author or teaching that book on racism, or talking about equity and trying to shapeshift and use new terms and change the language on their courses to stay under the radar. We can’t do that at HBCUs, ‘cause this is just what we do.”
When Phillips saw Kendi’s name on the Texas Tribune Festival lineup, she invited him to appear at a private event with the AFP-HT Enterprise Journalism Project. He quickly agreed, Phillips said. “I was like, ‘Oh, okay — he said yes!’”
After the discussion, Kendi stayed to sign books and mingle with students, faculty and other attendees.
A graduate of the historically Black Florida A&M University, Kendi told the Austin Free Press that appearing at Huston-Tillotson was a point of principle. “I knew about the history of this university,” he said. He added a hope for HBCU students to guide change in the future instead of being left behind or taken advantage of by them.
Unlike Kendi’s Trib Fest appearance, Kendi’s evening discussion was free to HT students. “This was a great opportunity for people who might not have otherwise been able to listen to him and learn from him,” said Roxanne Evans, chairwoman of AFP’s Board of Directors.
From Kendi to clinker
One audience member who heard Kendi discuss replacement theory that night was Austin City Council District 1 candidate Misael Ramos, whom Texas Department of Public Safety officers arrested 12 hours later.
Ramos was charged with a Class B misdemeanor Saturday morning for allegedly participating in a riot by erecting illegal street barriers during a Sept. 20 protest against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shooting Austin resident Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez. Ramos was released Saturday afternoon on a $1,000 personal bond.
Ramos asked Kendi that night’s final Q&A question: “What are some ways that we can start to radicalize some of our institutions, whether it be churches or HBCUs?”
“One of the ways in which we can radicalize them is by building radical programs like the program that organized this event,” Kendi replied, “this relationship between an HBCU and an independent, nonprofit newsroom.”
Ellington Tough is a senior at Austin’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA), where he serves as the editor-in-chief for the LASA Liberator. He is professionally certified in Adobe production and has won multiple awards for his work.
