Law professor's controversial book denounces 'new white nationalism'

Carol Swain sees herself as a "truth teller" and her latest book as mostly "old-fashioned common sense."

She's spent the summer calling for a review of what she sees as flawed U.S. immigration policy, an end to racial preferences and better, more forward-thinking African-American leadership to address the problems rampant in parts of the black community that make some want nothing to do with any African Americans.

The spotlight has been focused on Swain since the July 4 release of her book, The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenges to Integration (Cambridge University Press). The 526-page book argues that the "new white nationalist" is neither a skinhead nor a Ku Klux Klan member; he or she is a smarter, more sophisticated, more politically adroit person who may or may not be a member of an organized group. The new white nationalist is more likely to be a college-educated, financially secure, middle-class American, she said.

And therein lies the danger, she argues. Their views don't always seem so radical -- in fact, white nationalists work hard to differentiate themselves from white supremacists, who want to dominate other groups. As white nationalists, "many of these people say they don't want to rule over anyone. They just want white people to have the same rights as minorities," said Swain. Using the increased threat of racial unrest and violence in the United States, particularly since Sept. 11, white nationalists have found an audience for their arguments, she said.

Lately, Swain, professor of law and of political science, has been featured in numerous newspapers, in an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, on radio programs, on an online colloquy and on cable television shows. She's been invited to speak around the country.

It seems that everyone wants to hear her views, but not everyone agrees with them. She's been receiving hate mail as well as fan mail, and says that while many academics may privately agree with her views, most won't say so publicly, probably, she theorizes, fearing political backlash. Swain's controversial positions have also been difficult for the media to understand.

"The message of the book has been distorted somewhat. I do call for the elimination of racial preferences, but not for the end of Affirmative Action," Swain said.

"Many African Americans see Affirmative Action as their only protection from discrimination. There are measures we can develop -- instead of Affirmative Action -- that can detect and protect us from discrimination.

"Originally, Affirmative Action was meant to help African Americans overcome past and present discrimination, but that was more than 30 years ago. The program never worked the way it was meant to. Data suggests that the program helps the people who are better off, and does not address the needs of the most disadvantaged Americans."

Another reason to end racial preferences and redefine Affirmative Action, her research shows, is that it worsens race relations and helps to create new racists.

"We've entered into a new situation in America these days. As demographics are shifting, the white population is in decline [whites are projected to be a numerical minority around 2050], and the percentage of minorities eligible for racial preferences is rapidly increasing." This situation causes fear among white Americans, she says, and that's partially the reason for the growing strength of the white nationalist movement.

Swain says that the number of white nationalist groups throughout the United States is increasing and that, because of the Internet, people have unprecedented access to racist arguments, some disguised as less radical, more mainstream messages.

That's why she wrote the book -- to bring attention to insidious arguments and warn of the problems that will result if the situation is left unchecked, Swain said. "What I've done is a public service by doing the most important research in my life."

What does she want people to take away from the new book?

"The most important thing is to recognize the existence and power of the white nationalist movement. People say, 'If there is such a thing as white nationalism, it's at the margins and not a threat.' That's not true. Look around you and you can see it for yourself as well as the conditions leading us toward a destructive path that can only result in increased turmoil."

Swain said her book is a wake-up call. "We're at a point in history where we have an opportunity to avert disaster," she said. "I believe that unless we take action today, we're headed for unprecedented levels of racial and ethnic conflict."

The action she calls for includes a reduction in immigration and a change in black leadership.

"Our leadership is morally bankrupt, and we need new leadership from the black community. The current leadership serves the white power structure's needs," Swain said. "Black leaders have got people marching and boycotting. Those are strategies for the 1960s. There's not enough thinking ahead on the part of the leadership.

"As a result of lack of leadership, African Americans are seen as less desirable people to have around because of their rates of dysfunction in the community. We've got to start addressing the real problems in the African-American community like illegitimate births, AIDS and violent crime. These aren't problems that white Americans can solve for us. Black people have to solve these problems themselves."

Doing so, she says, will disarm many of the white nationalists' arguments.