Trump, Vance, and the defence for Anti-Racist Higher Education.

The recent election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States and his 'America First' nationalist project signals a dangerous crossroads for anybody that values progressive anti-racist education and the ideals of academic freedom. While many of his supporters argue that Trump’s political views have moderated following two assassination attempts, the reality is far more alarming. His rhetoric, if anything appears to be more vindictive. Coupled with the promise of policies that target so called 'undocumented' migrant communities as an 'alien criminal wedge', the indications are that his unprecedented hold of power, heralds an intensified assault on progressive values, and a decisive push to dismantle the very foundations of anti-racist education.

Trump’s actions following his second inauguration, including the swift abolition of diversity and equality policies, underscore his continued disregard for the lives and rights of marginalised groups. His sharp and divisive rhetoric, notably regarding gender identity, migration, and race, serves as a clarion call for the defenders of human dignity and social justice to remain vigilant. Trump has promised to deport "millions of undocumented migrants", many of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades and worked in essential, low-wage sectors, demonstrating his profound indifference to the plight of the working class. At the heart of these policies lies an ongoing erosion of the democratic and humanitarian values that many Americans hold dear.

However, while Trump remains the figurehead of the right-wing populist movement, it is his vice president, J.D. Vance, who may represent the more insidious threat to democratic ideals in the coming years. Vance, a man half Trump’s age, with his Indian origin wife and mixed heritage children at his side, projects an image of the new American ideal family. Whether or not Trump completes his full term in office, there is every possibility that he could become the torchbearer of Trumpism. Vance’s ideological vision, while perhaps more polished than Trump’s, is equally, if not more concerning for the future of progressive education.

Best known for his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which reflected his personal struggles growing up in Appalachia, a graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, Vance portrays an image of universities as hotbeds of left-wing, 'woke' ideology that undermines the values of 'ordinary' working-class Americans. According to Vance, academia has been taken over by "wokeism," where identity politics and political correctness overshadow rigorous academic inquiry. But at the heart of his vision for higher education is the belief that it is an unnecessary luxury that does not serve the interests of most of the population.

On the surface, Vance’s position appears to be progressive, resonating with critiques of elitist conceptions of higher education. However, it is in his admiration of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, especially his policies on higher education, that reveals a more sinister motive. Orbán’s policies in Hungary, including attacks on academic freedom and the suppression of independent universities, offer a chilling glimpse of the future Vance may envision for American higher education. Orbán’s centralisation of university governance, imposition of ideological conformity, and curtailment of free speech are tactics that Vance appears eager to emulate.

If Vance, or even Trump in his second term, moves to further constrain academic freedom and implement policies reminiscent of Orbán’s Hungary, the consequences for progressive education, and especially for the promotion of anti-racism in educational spaces, could be dire. As universities become increasingly politicised and beholden to increasingly to what Althusser termed the Ideological state apparatuses (ISA), their ability to critique power and advocate for marginalised communities will be severely compromised.

In a moment where the rise of right-wing authoritarianism is a global trend, particularly with the growing influence of oligarchs and media moguls like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai, who were all being paraded by Trump during his inauguration, it is more critical than ever to defend academics and institutions of higher learning that can critique power. But above all we need to understand that that the threat to progressive anti-racist education is not merely an abstract concern over theory or political ideologies; it is a practical, urgent issue that speaks to the very survival of democratic values and the physical safety of the most vulnerable in society.

Trumps ‘America First’ isolationist policy appears to ignore the fact that, not withstanding the destruction of indigenous people, America is a product of migration, meaning the to be a US citizen and a migrant are synonymous. A country where the struggles for freedom, liberty, and equality were long fought by communities who were never fully recognised in the nation's founding ideals, a continuation of progressive anti-racist education, therefore, is central to the ongoing struggle to realise those ideals. In this regard, abolishing or diminishing these educational frameworks is not merely an academic matter, a disagreement over discourses, but a moral and social one. Simply put, racism causes harms, and anti-racism protects and heals; it is as simple and real as that!

As the spectre of right-wing authoritarianism looms large over the future of the U.S., those who care about social justice, must remain steadfast in their defence of progressive anti-racist education and scholarship. In this regard, the gauntlet has been set for university leaders who claim to be advocates of diversity, equality, inclusion, decolonisation and anti-racism. Those who truly believe in authentic anti-racism, not the tick box model of minimal compliance, must continue to fight for what they cherish, even if this brings them into conflict with power. Here I am reminded of the timeless words of Frederik Douglas from his "West India Emancipation" speech, delivered Aug 4th, 1857, when he proclaimed:

"Those who favour freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without ploughing up the ground. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. They want the rain without the thunder and lightning. They want the fruit without the seed. They want the rose without the thorn. They want the glory without the sacrifice."