Why so old and white? Explaining the demographics of No Kings 2025 with social movement theory

• In Event: Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Movements as Responses to Crises

Abstract

This paper uses classic social movement scholarship to explain the demographics of the crowd at the coordinated local and mass rallies in 2025, such as Hands Off in April, No Kings in June, and the record-breaking No Kings rallies in October. Why mostly white, why mostly college-educated homeowners, and in particular, why such a sea of gray-haired seniors? This question was a mystery to many movement participants in 2025, but not to scholars familiar with social movement theories from the 1980's to early '00s. Six sets of predictors of mobilization from 17 scholars are used to explain the demographic skew, and to assert that it is likely to be temporary, predicting a more diverse movement in the coming years.

Author

• Betsy Leondar-Wright