By Grant Jones
Sept. 26 2017
Rich Benjamin speaking about whitopia. Photo by Grant Jones
Author, essayist, and adventurer Rich Benjamin gave a speech about his research on “whitopia’s” in Whitley Auditorium at Elon University on Sept. 26.
From 2007 to 2009 Rich Benjamin went on a journey to find the fastest growing and whitest cities in the United States.
Benjamin’s described these cities as whitopia’s and defined them as places with more than six percent population growth since 2000, 90 percent of that growth comes from white migrants and there is ineffable social charm with a pleasant look and feel.
His goal was to explore how these cities are growing and what makes them tick. Benjamin ended up spending his time in C’oeur D’alene (Idaho), St. George (Utah), and Forsyth County (Georgia).
During his time in each city, he found that they all had a social activity that corresponded with them. St. George had golf. Benjamin said he would spend at least three afternoons a week playing golf.
“Golf is a perfect, seductive emblem of whitopia.” Rich Benjamin
C’oeur D’alene had guns. “There were more gun owners than gas stations,” Benjamin said. Part of the reason is because of the large presences of former Los Angles police officers. Many of the police officers moved to there after the LA riots that took place in 1992.
Lastly in Forsyth County had church. In the Georgia, he encountered mega churches with parking lots so big they had gold carts to bring people from there cars to the church.
Rich then brought these experiences together by relating them to present day issues including the election and the events in Charlottesville. And while they way we interact with one another has gotten better, overall there hasn’t been much progress.
“This county is as segregated as it was a generation ago, It may have even regressed” Rich Benjamin.
Benjamin believes that disruption is the main cause for this.
The influences disruption has on society. Photo by Grant Jones
Recently there has been disruption in different aspects of society such as politics, media, influence, and advertising. And these changes have created fear and uncertainty for the future.
However, he follow up with a final message that disruption is a two sided coin. This side having fear but the other holds social agency and hope. “As American’s things can be done differently,” Benjamin said.
“Disruption is a two sided coin, we just have see how it lands, ” Rich Benjamin
For more information about Rich Benjamin visit his website.
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