Renowned author Ibram X. Kendi will be coming to UCSB’s Campbell Hall on April 7 for an Arts & Lectures talk where he will discuss the rise of the “great replacement theory” and how racist ideologies have fueled the current wave of authoritarianism in the U.S.
Kendi, one of the foremost writers on race and the youngest-ever winner of the National Book Award for Nonfiction, tackles the ideology of great replacement theory in his latest release, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age. The book dives deep into the origins of the idea, tracing its path from French novelist Renaud Camus to current day America, where right-wing politicians and billionaires have continued to convince the masses that people of color are scapegoats for the country’s biggest problems.
In an interview with the Independent leading up to the event, Kendi spoke about researching and writing Chain of Ideas and about his understanding of how the great replacement theory rose to prominence in our current political age.
“Part of the reason why I wrote this book is because ‘great replacement’ is a dominant theory that is being concealed,” Kendi said. “They are not announcing it to the public. So, to me, the first step is allowing people to recognize it.”
Kendi describes how the theory evolved into its current form and uses hard data to debunk the narratives that drove its popularity both in Europe and here in the U.S. The theory thrives on the “zero-sum” idea that people of color (or any marginalized group) are inherently worse for a society and need to be removed to improve the overall value of the greater group.
Nowadays, the idea has been weaponized, Kendi says, to target a wide range of groups beyond just people of color. It’s been used to ostracize immigrants, political groups, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Kendi says the idea has caught a firm hold in America because it offers a simpler explanation for complicated issues and reaffirms racist, homophobic, and xenophobic ideas that are already prevalent in the country. He says it’s also supported by major financiers that spread the narrative across major media outlets that are increasingly right-leaning.
“It’s so pervasive; it’s so widespread,” Kendi said. “It really shows how it went from the margins to the dominant force.”
Kendi will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, at UCSB’s Campbell Hall. Tickets are $30 for general admission and free for UCSB students. Books will be available for purchase and signing, courtesy of Chaucer’s Books.
