Abstract
Using an intersectional lens, the author examines how a campus community responded to racism incited by the presence of the Proud Boys on campus. To better contextualize what's happening on the contemporary college campus, the author first provides an overview of white supremacy groups and how they historically responded to policies designed to benefit marginalized communities. Next, the author defines the Proud Boys as this group is still largely misunderstood by academics and a mainstream audience. Then, the author examines how the Proud Boys use their increased presence on college campuses and specific policies such as Affirmative Action and Title IX to strengthen their identity. Finally, the author explores how campus community members discuss the group and racism on campus more broadly. Ultimately, the presence of the Proud Boys as a sanctioned campus club is one of the ways that inequality and violence are reproduced and normalized in contemporary campus life.
TopMain Focus Of The Chapter
The findings in this study focus on:
- 1.
How the Proud Boys define their group based on their presence on college campuses.
- 2.
How members of the campus community understand issues related to sexism and racism.
- 3.
How students and employees discuss racism and white supremacy on their campus, which in turn reproduces inequality on the college campus.
- 4.
And what these issues mean for future policy changes.
The author is particularly concerned with how and why the Proud Boys are becoming increasingly normalized on college campuses, and what this means for issues of racism and sexism in higher education.
TopBackground
By placing the Proud Boys into a historical and political context, this chapter explains what contemporary racism and sexism can look like within the college campus community. Groups such as the Proud Boys have ushered in a new, less overt brand of racism and sexism, and they often target young college students with their messaging. Even as policies such as Affirmative Action and Title IX serve to protect college students whose identities have historically been marginalized based on race and gender, new forms of racism, sexism, and white supremacy continue to materialize on college campuses. This in turn leads members of the campus community contending with how to make sense of and respond to these new forms of discrimination. In other words, how do members of the campus community, both students and employees, make sense of and engage with each other around issues related to sexism and racism?
Using an intersectional lens, the researcher examines what the campus community said about race and racism in relation to the college campus, especially regarding the presence of the group the Proud Boys. To better contextualize what’s happening on college campuses, the author first provides an overview of white supremacy groups and how they historically responded to policies designed to benefit marginalized communities. Next, the researcher defines the Proud Boys as this group is still largely misunderstood by academics and mainstream audiences. From here, the author examines how the Proud Boys use their increased presence on college campuses and specific policies such as Affirmative Action and Title IX to strengthen their identity. Finally, the researcher explores how campus community members discuss the group and racism on campus more broadly. Ultimately, the presence of the Proud Boys as a sanctioned campus club is one of the ways that inequality and violence are reproduced and normalized on college campuses.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Campus Community: People who are on college campuses regularly, including but not limited to students and employees.
Title IX: Federal policy meant to protect students at public schools from gender discrimination.
Proud Boys: A self-identified male chauvinist group with a contested public reputation. Some “watch dog” groups define the Proud Boys as an “alt-lite” group. Meanwhile, others believe the group is a right-wing extremist group.
Affirmative Action: Policy meant to benefit racial, ethnic, and gender minorities in the workplace, including higher education.
Extremist Group: Right-wing groups with extreme ideologies, often inciting violence and aggression.
Intersectionality: Examining social institutions and everyday social interactions based on identities such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.
Capitol Riots: Right-wing extremists who violently attacked and rioted at the United States Capitol on January 6 th , 2021.