A People’s History of Leisure Studies: Where the White Nationalists Are

ABSTRACT

What we are witnessing in these contemporary times isn’t just the interplay of a racialised-populist sentiment in the political sphere through the amassing of political influence (political parties, campaigns, and policies). What we are also witnessing is the increasing performance of racialised-populist political sentiments in the very physical, and public spaces of society. The aim of this manuscript is to discuss this performance within the United States at four historical junctures of animation of leisure space and White Nationalist activity in public and private-public spaces: 1) 1925 Ku Klux Klan March; 2) the 1939 German-American Bund Rally; 3) the 1977 National Socialist Party of America Rally; and, 4) the 2017 Unite the Right Rally. There is a complexity to the contestation of meanings and values ascribed to spaces. The political act of protesting is highlighted in its violation of the sanctum of these public and private-public spaces within the theoretical lenses of the White Genocide Conspiracy Theory or the Great Replacement Theory. Each highlights the impact of this growing White populism, and serves as a cautionary tale for appeals of counter activities and expressions of resistance with the animation, through protest and dissent, of public and private-public spaces.

KEYWORDS:

• White Nationalism
• White Supremacy
• the Far Right
• White Separatism
• The Great Replacement Theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rasul A. Mowatt

Rasul A. Mowatt is a Professor in the Department of American Studies, The College of Arts + Sciences and the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, School of Public Health - Bloomington.