Search

“United for what and for whom?”

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. ET
121 Borland Building
“United for what and for whom?”
Analyzing White Christian Nationalist Tropes in the 2023 State College School Board Election

Collaborative Colloquia: Society for the Study of Religion Presents: Esther Prins

Public school board elections have become cultural battlegrounds as groups with opposing views on education, politics, religion, and social and cultural issues vie to shape public education, their communities, and the nation. To date, little research has examined White Christian nationalism as a political force shaping these elections. This presentation analyzes the November 2023 State College Area School District (SCASD) school board election, focusing on the five United for SCASD candidates. Using public data (e.g., Facebook posts, emails to SCASD administrators and board members, media interviews, comments at school board meetings), the presentation will examine how these candidates’ rhetoric mobilized key White Christian nationalist tropes such as persecution, voicelessness, and American exceptionalism, among others. In particular, the findings explore how candidates characterized desirable versus undesirable types of unity and diversity in the district, and trace the origins of candidates’ rhetoric to Civil Rights-era minoritarian framing and organizations such as FAIR.

Zoom link available upon request (Email hcm1@psu.edu).

Hybrid Event
121 Borland Building