Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of several books, including his most recent The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy, which is the topic of this conversation. In it, Robert connects the founding of the U.S., specifically the genocide and removal of Native peoples, with the ongoing racism resulting in violent acts toward African Americans. While most of the events described are historical, the attitudes leading to the violence witnessed still persist today, especially among certain groups, namely those who identify as Republican and white evangelical Protestant. Knowing this though, shouldn’t make anyone feel hopeless, especially if they share any (or all!) of those identifiers. That knowledge can, though, help us become more aware of who we are as a country and make better determinations toward who we want to become.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future by Robert P. Jones
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Killers of the Flower Moon movie
The Civil War A Film by Ken Burns
Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)
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