The Conversation Weekly Why the US is fixated on South Africa’s white Afrikaners
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Dec 4, 2025 Carolyn Holmes, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Tennessee, discusses the intriguing connections between white nationalist movements in South Africa and the United States. She reveals how Donald Trump's focus on South Africa's white Afrikaners influences US refugee policy, exploring historical roots dating back to a 1930s sociological study. Carolyn also examines the cyclical nature of racial narratives, the role of media in shaping perceptions of violence, and critiques the political implications of prioritizing Afrikaners in refugee applications.
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Carnegie's Role In Shaping Racial Policy
- The Carnegie Corporation in 1929 funded a major study to 'uplift' poor white Afrikaners and preserve whiteness as a political category.
- That effort institutionalised racial priorities and created policy templates shared between the U.S. and South Africa.
Charleston Shooting Sparked Comparative Links
- Carolyn Holmes first linked U.S. white supremacy to South Africa after the 2015 Charleston church massacre and the shooter's manifesto.
- The attacker explicitly referenced Rhodesia/Zimbabwe as a warning of majority rule gone wrong.
Policy Built To Preserve Whiteness
- South African policy-makers embraced Carnegie recommendations to build education and welfare supporting white citizens.
- That created Afrikaner nationalism and a state architecture explicitly designed to protect whiteness.