Macroaggressions and Civil Discourse

Abstract

In his quest to “Make America Great Again,” Donald J. Trump has actually made America racist and sexist again. Trump’s bid for presidency increased the division in the country and has provided a harbinger of opportunities for those on the fringes of society to take the mainstage with violence and hate-spewed vitriol, maliciousness, and fury. His campaign brought to the forefront people and organizations stoked in racism and divisiveness, such as David Duke, Milo Yiannopoulos, Jason Kessler, and Richard Spencer—all part of the Klu Klux Klan or other alt-right and white supremacist movements. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (2016), there were almost 900 reports of harassment and intimidation across the nation in the ten days following Trump’s election. In most cases, the perpetrators were strangers to the victims. These perpetrators left their victims with written and verbal messages of hate, inappropriate comments, and damaged property, from painting graffiti on church walls and cars to painting and leaving signs on victims’ houses. Some victims reported physical violence and interactions with the perpetrators as they used Trump’s name to excuse their crimes and loss of common sense and decency. In the discussion that follows, we argue that the election of Donald J. Trump has fostered macroaggressions to replace