New Books Network Kevin M. Schultz, "Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Oct 10, 2025
Kevin M. Schultz, a history professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, delves into the complex relationship between white liberals and American political life. He explores why they are reviled by various groups, including conservatives and civil rights leaders, examining their perceived hypocrisy and failures. Schultz discusses the evolution of liberalism, critiques from different ideological camps, and proposes a new political language to bridge divisions. He leaves listeners with reasons for cautious optimism about potential political realignment.
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Origins And Mutable Meaning Of Liberalism
- Kevin Schultz traces American "liberalism" to FDR in 1932 and shows it became a centrist tradition balancing capitalism and regulation.
- The term's meaning shifted over centuries, so modern debates often talk past each other.
Multiple Shooters Took Down The Center
- Multiple camps assassinated mid-century liberalism: right, left, and civil-rights critics each accused liberals of betrayal.
- These overlapping attacks hollowed out the political center and reshaped American polarization.
Black Leaders' Disillusionment With White Liberals
- Black leaders like James Baldwin and Martin Luther King Jr. initially hoped white liberals would advance racial equality.
- By the mid-1960s many concluded white liberals failed to deliver and began to excoriate them.
