Is Democracy Falling Out of Popularity With White Americans?
Are we moving in the wrong direction? Let’s unpack this.
One of the most iconic American symbols, the Statue of Liberty, was a gift from France. So, why did the French give America a statue in the likeness of the Roman goddess Libertas in 1885? French artist and abolitionist Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi wanted to celebrate this born-again version of America, the triumph of the Union army, which liberated all enslaved African people within her borders. The Statue of Liberty became a gift to celebrate a newly founded multiracial democracy.
Without abolition, we would not have the Statue of Liberty gazing over the New York Harbor. See, France abolished slavery in 1794, and the Confederacy’s attempt to maintain slavery did not bode well amongst the French, who had long abandoned the barbaric practice. We never hear about why the French gifted the statue in public schools, which sends a message that Black liberation is inconsequential. Yet, at the Statue of Liberty Museum in New York, the curators clearly state that the Statue of Liberty “was created to celebrate freed slaves, not immigrants.”
Lady Liberty was originally designed to celebrate the end of slavery, not the arrival of immigrants. Ellis Island, the inspection station through which millions of immigrants passed, didn’t open until six years after the statue was unveiled in 1886. The plaque with the famous Emma Lazarus poem — “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” — wasn’t added until 1903 (Brockell, 2019).
Democracy has always been a temperamental topic in America because only White, landowning men had the right to vote and have agency when the nation began. So, the Statue of Liberty represents an expansion of democratic principles, and in that way, it has become an appropriate symbol to welcome immigrants. Unfortunately, however, somewhere along this arduous colorblind journey, many Americans have forgotten the true purpose of the Statue of Liberty. In the same way, many White Americans have become disenchanted with the concept of democracy.
The principles of freedom and self-governance sounded great when this only protected White people’s interests. Still, now that democracy is once again trying to expand, cement the rights of a multiracial population through voting rights protections, democracy has become less popular. As Rick Shenkman wrote in Politico, “Democracy is hard work and requires a lot from those who participate in it. It requires people to respect those with different views from theirs and people who don’t look like them.”
French abolitionists believed that Americans were capable of the hard work required to embody democratic principles. And, while it may not look like it from the outside, Americans are trying. But, now we’re faced with the obstacle of anti-scientific, anti-historical propaganda that has become intrinsically linked to a group of White Americans more interested in preserving power in the hands of few than embracing what it means to live in a true democracy. I can’t help but think that many White Americans who oppose voting rights legislation are losing their way. And that includes those who say they support voting rights but won’t vote to protect them.
Initially, many Black Americans considered the Statue of Liberty a “false idol,” which reminded them of the false promises made at the end of the Civil War. While the Union army and the Confederacy put down their arms and stopped fighting, Black Americans bore the brunt of white backlash. Yet, the symbol of the Statue of Liberty, while a beautiful gesture from White men who wanted to dismantle slavery in all corners of the world, seemed a cruel reminder of the gap between American democracy and Black people’s access to civil rights.
“Shove the Bartholdi statue, torch and all, into the ocean,” the Gazette argued, “until the ‘liberty’ of this country is such as to make it possible for an inoffensive and industrious colored man in the South to earn a respectable living for himself and family, without being ku-kluxed, perhaps murdered, his daughter and wife outraged, and his property destroyed. The idea of the ‘liberty’ of this country ‘enlightening the world,’ or even Patagonia, is ridiculous in the extreme (Smithsonian).
The Statue of Liberty may have been a false idol to Black people, as writers in the Gazette argued years ago. However, it’s the responsibility of Americans and those who believe in democracy to make it true. You see, Bartholdi did not gift the Statue of Liberty because America was perfect or even exceptional. Rather, as many Americans still do, he believed that America would one day be a self-governed, multicultural, multireligious, multiracial democracy that embraces differences as strengths and not weaknesses.
As of late, The United States has been backsliding into authoritarianism, with some Americans rejecting the democratic principles that made her worthy of receiving the Statue of Liberty. Studies show Democracy has been falling out of favor with White American conservatives in particular; 90% oppose making it easier to vote. A Vox report revealed, “the Republican turn against democracy begins with race,” with many scoring high on the ethnic antagonism scale.
Those who believe America should embody democratic values, stay vigilant, organize, and plan to vote. Democracy may be falling out of popularity, but it’s worth preserving. Americans should remember that expanding who has access to our democracy strengthens it. And unless we plan on giving back the Statue of Liberty, it’s time we commit to living up to those values and embrace a more perfect democratic union.
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