black voters

By Michael Wongsam

The election of Donald Trump as America’s 45th president has provoked many responses, from outright rage and protest in many urban centres through to resignation, acceptance and accommodation to the result on the part of the DNC establishment. Opponents have correctly characterised his campaign as a right wing populist call to arms aimed at mobilising rural and sub urban white communities against immigrants, Muslims, black and other minority groups around a reactionary conservative agenda. However, in order to understand this vote in its full significance it is necessary to take a longer, historic view of its place in the unfolding of US politics.