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Although the spread of radical ideologies is not new, it is now fuelled by social media.
An important book to read for every South African. Picture Composite Supplied.
Racism, prejudice and discrimination is everywhere. Think of yourself in traffic, consider current local and global politics. In South Africa, themes like BBBEE and xenophobia, sport, gender discrimination impact every day of citizens’ lives.
It’s a contentious hit parade of themes that could go on for days. This, when on the surface, society remains convinced that it has erased the scourge of prejudice.
In his book White Supremacy, author Gavin Evans does not shy away from difficult conversations. He has them, and this book will likely become the foundation of critical discussions on racism for years to come. The author pulls no punches in tracing the toxic lineage of racist ideologies from their roots in whack-job scientific theory right through to the extremist underbelly, or not-so-underbelly, of the internet today.
Racism, discrimination and the modern incarnation of the ‘great replacement’ theory have their roots in the alt-right online chatrooms 4chan, 8kun, Gab, and the darknet, where racist and misogynistic ideologies can breed and multiply quickly.
Evans researched these rabbit holes. He said the level of misogyny went off the charts. “And what’s frightening is how easily it turns into racism. One minute it’s about women, the next it’s about immigrants and black people. These forums are shaping how a whole generation of young men see the world.”
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He said many young men enter extremist online spaces because they feel excluded.
“In the US, for example, many men feel left behind. Women are doing better in school, getting better jobs. Some young men don’t see a place for themselves anymore. So, they start looking for someone to blame.”
They find them in people of colour.
Extreme ideas permeate social media. Evans said these are then fuelled by algorithmic reinforcement on various platforms.
“Code and machines don’t understand morality,” he said. “They just feed people more of what grabs their attention. So, if a young guy is drawn to grievance-based and racism-based content, the algorithm serves him more of it – stronger, darker, faster.”
“Discrimination seems to be diversifying, too,” Evans added. “We’re splitting down every available fault line, including class, religion and culture. It’s a fracturing of society that’s being accelerated by the very technology we use to connect.”
These 21st-century divisions and racism are also becoming increasingly visible in politics. “In the last German election, young men voted for the AfD in significant numbers. Young women voted overwhelmingly for the left. The divide between young men and women is growing,” he said.
The book, however, shows that the spread of radical ideologies is not new. Evans wrote about the major pillars of today’s various far-right ideological mutations. He traced it back to the work of Charles Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, who coined the term ‘eugenics’ and promoted the belief that intelligence and success were innate traits predominantly found in white populations.
“Galton believed intelligent white people needed to breed more, and inferior races needed to be eliminated,” Evans said.
Evans suggested that these theories laid the foundation for early 20th-century race-based policies. White Supremacy connects the historical dots between scientific racism, mainstream discourse and acts of modern extremism.
“Many of the people cited in the manifestos of far-right (mass) shooters were the same figures I’d already written about in Skin Deep,” he said. “They were being referenced as authorities. That’s when I realised I had to write this book.”
Skin Deep was an academic publication that deep-dived into the fundamentals of race-based science. It focuses on the victims, in this instance, and not the killers.
It is an absolute social indictment of how far down the pathway to hatred people have ventured.
And while Evans doesn’t believe that reading White Supremacy may change anyone’s mind, he feels it should be a roadmap for a fact-based argument to counter racism and discrimination.
“You can’t just tell people to stop thinking a certain way. It needs to come from people they know, teachers, friends, siblings. People of influence. And you need to offer alternatives. Role models, platforms that young people actually want to engage with. If you want to challenge someone’s ideas, you need to understand where those ideas come from,” he said.
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