*From pulpits to posts and podcasts, Americans are voicing their raw views on race and politics that reveal division. In a video posted on Facebook, Bishop Paul S. Morton has done an informal interpretive analysis about the cause of the division.
He tackled white supremacy and the replacement theory, which is the idea that whites are afraid that they are being replaced in America by the growth of non-white groups. His message is aimed at helping the nation understand what he calls a “Trumpian season,” or a period where the leadership of the 47th president is fueling racial tension and threatening to revert the nation back to a state of racial segregation.
“Many white people feel like they are weak, insecure, feel like they are being replaced,” he argues is the reason for the widening racial divide.
At the onset of the video the New Orleans based pastor established that there are good and bad people among Blacks and whites and rejected placing everyone in the same category. However, he boldly addressed that there are prejudices, and some whites believe they are supreme. Morton also identified that another aspect of the problem is that powerful law firms, top universities, the “MAGA cult” and even Congress have cowered under Trump’s leadership.
In a video posted to social media, Morton addressed white Americans specifically, saying fears tied to white supremacy and the so‑called “replacement theory” are fueling much of today’s tension. Replacement theory is the false belief that white Americans are being intentionally displaced by the growth of non‑white groups — a claim widely rejected by scholars and civil rights organizations.
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Morton argued that slavery forced Black Americans to develop resilience, and in a reversal of expectations, he suggested that some white Americans who strongly support President Trump may be acting out of fear. In the video, Morton said, “We are not even afraid of a slave master in the White House, but many white people are. So listen to Black peole who have had to struggle.” He added that people of all races can take pride in who they are, saying, “You can be white and proud. I’m Black and proud.”
Defining the “Trumpian Season”
The notion of a “Trumpian season” being marked by racism is not randomly constructed by Morton. Sociologists have studied the changing dynamics in race relations under Trump rule that support his claims. The 2020 research paper “Trickle-down racism: Trump’s effect on whites’ racist dehumanizing attitudes” by Ashley Jardinon and Spencer Priston gives credence to the preacher’s position.
The researchers state: “Among a nationally-representative sample of white Americans, subscription to anti-Black and anti-Hispanic stereotypes actually declined immediately after Trump’s election in 2016. Other work, however, has found that Trump had a polarizing effect on racial attitudes; his supporters expressed more prejudiced views after the election while his opponents demonstrated less prejudiced attitudes.”
When Trump ran in 2016 there was evidence of his impact on outward prejudice and discrimination rising. One study indicates that the attitude of political elites may penetrate and pollute the minds of followers. Some research found overall declines in expressed anti‑Black and anti‑Hispanic stereotypes immediately after Trump’s 2016 election, while other studies found that Trump intensified polarization. His supporters became more willing to express prejudiced or xenophobic views.
Experimental studies also show that Trump’s popularity made some white Americans, especially those already holding strong prejudices, more likely to voice discriminatory or anti‑immigrant attitudes. The research suggests that Trump’s political rise activated, amplified, and divided racial attitudes among white Americans. After the same period, one of the most conspicuous social developments was the emergence of “Karens” and “Kens”– white men and women meddling in or policing minority strangers’ lives publicly.
The fear of replacement Morton talked about is also based on facts.
Where did the debunked far right notion of come from? French writer Renaud Camus originated claims that white Europeans—especially ethnic French people—are being deliberately “replaced” by non‑white, largely Muslim populations through immigration and demographic change, presumably orchestrated by liberal elites. Scholars overwhelmingly reject the theory as racist, unscientific, and based on misinterpretations of demographic data. Some white Trump supporters embraced the theory.
There is another scenario where replacement fears are rooted. Prior to the popularity of Camu’s theory, rap legends Public Enemy assessed there was resistance to interracial coupling in the song “Fear of a Black Planet.” A stanza of the lyrics pinpoints white fear being linked to Black genetic dominance:
“Excuse us for the news
You might not be amused
But did you know white comes from Black
No need to be confused
Excuse us for the news
I question those accused
Why is this fear of Black from White
Influence who you choose?”
Additionally, the idea that whites are dwindling or being replaced comes from population data projections. The 2020 Census indicated a decline in white Americans for the first time in history. Republicans became nervous and sought answers for why the numbers were dropping.
In this present moment in America, the Trump Administration has promoted policies for the restoration of American pride that is exclusionary. Bishop Morton said Blacks and whites can continue to live together but he wants whites to understand that they must adjust their attitudes to be more inclusive and treat others equally.
The bishop concluded his remarks stating: “You will not make America great again by believing you are supreme.”
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