Chain of ideas : the origins of our authoritarian age / Ibram X. Kendi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kendi, Ibram X., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Authoritarianism.

Emigration and immigration--Political aspects.

Emigration and immigration.

Racism--Political aspects.

Racism.

White supremacy movements.

Xenophobia--Political aspects.

Xenophobia.

Population geography--Political aspects.

Population geography.

Ethnic conflict--Political aspects.

Ethnic conflict.

Race--Demographic aspects.

Race.

Race discrimination--Political aspects.

Race discrimination.

Authoritarianism--History--21st century.

White people--Race identity.

White people.

Right-wing extremists.

Race relations--Political aspects.

Race relations.

Right-wing extremists--Political activity.

Democracy.

Propaganda.

Genre:

Informational works.

Instructional and educational works.

Physical Description:

xxxviii, 550 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Origins of our authoritarian age

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : One World, an imprint of Random House, [2026]

Summary:

"Recall the words chanted in Charlottesville, Virginia: 'You will not replace us!' Recall the string of mass shooters across the globe--in Oslo, Christchurch, Buffalo, El Paso, and Pittsburgh--who claimed their crimes were a defense against 'White genocide.' Recall business and media figures cultivating anxiety and furor over demographic change. These incidents only scratch the surface: Popular and ruling politicians in every region of the world have expressed some version of great replacement theory, eroding democratic norms in the name of preventing demographic change. The term was coined in 2011 by a French novelist who argued that Black and Brown immigrants were "invading" Europe, brought by shadowy elites to "replace" the White population. From there, politicians and theorists in the United States and elsewhere repackaged it as a story of "globalists" welcoming "migrant criminals" and promoting diversity to take away the jobs, cultures, electoral power, and very lives of White people. Over time, great replacement theory has expanded those under threat to include citizens, men, Jews, Christians, heterosexuals, and ethnic majorities in countries as distinct as Russia, El Salvador, Brazil, Italy, and India, all targeted with the message that they are facing an existential attack that only a strongman can prevent. In Chain of Ideas, internationally bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi offers an unsettling but indispensable global history of how great replacement theory brought humanity into this authoritarian age--and how we can free ourselves from it."-- Amazon.com.

In Chain of Ideas, Ibram X. Kendi examines the historical development and global dissemination of the concept commonly referred to as the "great replacement" theory. The work traces the term's origins in early 21st-century Europe and analyzes how related ideas have been adapted and circulated in political discourse across multiple regions. Drawing on historical examples and contemporary events, the author explores how narratives centered on demographic change have influenced public opinion, policymaking, and political movements. The book considers the relationship between these ideas and broader concerns about democracy, governance, and social cohesion, and discusses responses aimed at addressing their impact.

Contents:

Link 1. White people lose out as peoples of color gain

Link 2. Racial inequity data should be ignored

Link 3. Racism is biological prejudice and interpersonal discrimination

Link 4. Racism against people of color is over

Link 5. Anti-white racism is on the rise

Link 6. White Christians are indigenous to the nation

Link 7. Fight for freedom as patriots, like the nation's founders

Link 8. Stand in the legacy of antislavery, anticolonialism, civil rights activism, and antifascism

Link 9. Insurrections against democracy protect the nation

Link 10. Fight for privileges provided by dictators instead of power provided by democracy.

Link 4. Racism against peoples of color is over

Notes:

Includes index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Miller Fund bookplate.

ISBN:

9780593978023

0593978021

OCLC:

1484604759