Woke White Folks? Not in the Age of Trump: Racial Attitudes of White Millennials

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality Among Millennials

Abstract

Young people are often thought to be more enlightened about race than previous generations. However, even though millennials are the most diverse generation, young white opinions on race can differ widely from young people of color. The unique, bimonthly GenForward survey of millennials allows us to explore how racial attitudes shape the politics of young whites. We show that far from being more progressive than their parents and grandparents, racial attitudes structure the political attitudes and behaviors of young whites beyond traditional explanations like party identification and in similar ways that they do among older generations. Millennials are a growing force in American politics and their political orientations matter more everyday. We conclude by discussing the implications of millennials’ racial attitudes on American politics.

Authors

• Vladimir Enrique Medenica, University of Chicago

• Matthew Fowler, University of Chicago