Lesson of the Day: Replacement and Fringe Conspiracy Theories

“Underlying all variations of replacement rhetoric is the growing diversity of the United States over the past decade,” the featured article notes. What do you think that means? What do you know about how the demographics of the United States are changing?

To learn more, read this August 2021 article, “Behind the Surprising Jump in Multiracial Americans, Several Theories,” about the results of the most recent census. Do you relate to the experience or feelings of anyone quoted in the piece? For instance, Michael Watson, the son of a Jamaican mother and a Puerto Rican father of Scottish and Bajan descent, says the fact that more Americans are identifying themselves as multiracial feels like a recognition by society that he had long craved:

“I think it shows that there’s more depth and breadth to us as people of color,” he said. “It’s a testament that our society is moving in the right direction. It goes beyond just the color of our skin.”

As part of the analysis, the article also notes:

But while white people have long been at the top of the American social hierarchy, and the category has expanded over time to include the immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe who came at the turn of the last century, the profusion of identities in American society and their growing acceptance is raising the question of how much social power whiteness still holds.

What is your reaction to this? Do you agree that, as a society, we are asking questions about “how much social power whiteness still holds”? Where and how do you see that, if so?

Finally, what might be the positive implications of these demographic changes? For instance, your generation is the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history. Do you agree with Kori Alexis Trataros, pictured above, that young people are more open, accepting and willing to engage in conversations about racism and social justice as a result? If so, how will that help change our world for the better?

Keep up with news about the attack in Buffalo.

The focus of this lesson is the racist theory that motivated the gunman, but of course there are many other aspects of this developing story that you can explore.

Choose any of the following to read and learn about — and then, perhaps, share what you find with others in your class.

Now that you have read more about what happened in Buffalo, you may be inspired to help. Here are some suggestions from WIVB, a CBS affiliate in Buffalo.