Stacey Abrams Defends Identity Politics

Let me start off by saying that one of the reasons I really like Stacey Abrams article in the elite journal Foreign Affairs (I subscribe, have for years). Is because she rebuts Francis Fukuyama, a man who once wrote a staple piece of political science literature on the “End of History,” and does so through the lived experiences of real people with real problems and real complaints about how this country has disadvantaged them due to gender or due to ethnic/racial background.

Fukuyama argues that identity politics are tearing us apart and that democracy can’t function with everyone in tribes by how they identify.

Stacey Abrams rebuts this by talking about the very real complaints in our society. In the past, policy was written for a specific group of people. Those people tended to be heterosexual, white, and at least middle class and above. Social policy tended to reinforce the views and prejudices of those same people. Things like Civil Rights for African-Americans, Gay Marriage, even Female Suffrage was something that a minority group had to work for years to beseech the dominant group to allow them certain privileges like voting, being on television, or using the same drinking fountains, lunch counters and bathrooms.

Democracy has allowed us to address these issues, but the reality is that America is changing. America is becoming more diverse and those diverse voices are now demanding a seat at the table when policy is written and when resources are allocated. These people have a different view of the world. They are much closer to the struggle of working class people. They are closer to understanding how seemingly innocent institutions or certain public policies can have and adverse effect on marginalized people.

In short, democracy is becoming more inclusive of more voices with different demands than the voices that dominated the past. Stacey Abrams is the very face of this fact. If she has been able to run in a fair election, she probably would have won in Georgia. Let’s also let that sink for a minute. A Black woman was quite nearly elected governor of Georgia. You don’t hardly get deeper into the Deep South than Georgia.

America is changing and our government and society has to change with it and that change has come from people making their identities vocal. They have taken to the streets and ultimately to the halls of Congress to express their desire to change society in a way that benefits a far larger group of people than was originally intended.

Strong identities don’t necessarily make us weaker. It ultimately makes us far stronger because it makes society more equitable. This enables people to do truly great things. Innovations and breakthroughs are hiding out in places that might have a different look than we’re all used to. That is a cause for celebration. Instead of leaving people out of the conversation, people like Ms. Abrams are bringing people together to create change that everyone can believe in. Rather than destroying the concept of being American, we’re expanding it to include everyone, just some people who look a certain way. That’s going to make for a much better country in the long run.