Obama's election was followed immediately by the birther movement, which harked back to Reconstruction-era rejection of Black empowerment; the birther narrative expressed the core illiberal belief that certain groups shouldn't legitimately hold power and that hierarchies are essential—Trump rode birtherism into political prominence.
factualpending
Speaker
Stephen HahnEvidence Quote
“Obama draws out a lot of deep racism in American society...a black person like him is not should not legitimately hold the power he does...a birther movement which really harks back to reconstruction when...southern whites recognized that slavery was over. But the idea of empowering former slaves was just inconceivable to them.”
Created: 8/11/2026, 7:04:01 AM
My Notes
Loading notes...