The day after the 2020 presidential election, Mixing Africa’s Disciplines Working Group hosted “Post-Election Dialogue: Perspectives via Africa, USA & Black Lives Everywhere.” The 2-hour event featured UF professors Dr. Leonardo Villalón and Dr. David Canton. Dr. Villalón is Dean of the International Center and Professor of Political Science and African Studies. Dr. David Canton is Director and Professor of African American Studies.
Dr. Villalón began by discussing the 2020 presidential election and how it could affect US foreign policy in Africa. Trump’s approach to the continent has been apathetic, in his four years as president he has never visited Africa. Further, Trump has referred to parts of the continent as “shithole countries.” Despite the lack of a foreign policy in Africa, the US has been in support of trade rather than aid. It is thought that opening up the market will spur development through trade and capitalism at-large. Dr. Villalón went on to say that Africa has been used as a “puppet, ploy, or pawn” by the rest of the world. In the last few years, conversations related to Africa have often focused on its relationship to China.
Alternatively, should Biden win the election, Dr. Villalón predicts a more strategic US foreign policy. In relation to student visas, he argues that the Biden administration would likely encourage more international students to study in the US. This would be done through incentives such as allowing international students to stay as long as they are pursuing an education. Dr. Villalón explained that the Trump administration intends to give international students two- or four-year visas with opportunities for extension. Dr. Villalón sees this as a “disincentive” that could lead to students having their visas rejected before finishing their degrees.
Dr. Canton took a more historical approach to understanding the election and referenced two books. The first was titled, “White Nationalist, Black Interest: Conservative Public Policy in the Black Community,” and was written by Ronald W. Walters– an American author, speaker and scholar of African-American politics. The book, published in 2003, traces the emergence of a “new White Nationalism.” In it, Walters argues that White Nationalism has fueled the Conservative movement, “invaded public discourse, and generated policies that protect the interests of white voters at the expense of blacks and other nonwhites” in the last few decades. Dr. Canton used this argument as a framework to understand why so many White Americans voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. The second book he mentioned, “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide” was written by Carol Anderson and was published more recently in 2017. Anderson is a professor of African American Studies at Emory University whose research focuses on the intersection of public policy, race, justice, and equality. In his book, Anderson argues that each time Black Americans have pushed forward and made advances in civil rights and equality, white America reacts by deliberately sabotaging the advances and efforts of Black people. Dr. Canton agreed with Anderson’s assessment and added that the outpour of votes from white Americans for Trump in the 2020 election is telling. He concluded the dialogue by noting that the US has a lot of work to do in order to heal and face the racism that is at the core of American society.