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<p>Through a comparative qualitative content analysis of media from the Americanist ultra-nationalist, John Birch Society (JBS or Society), I show how its anti-Black protest propaganda themes against civil rights and Black Power activism presage conservative rightwing messaging against Black Lives Matter (BLM). Firstly, the Society portrayed Black protest as communist and un-American. Today’s conservative rightwing media similarly depict BLM as Marxist and anti-American. The second theme portrays Black protest as lawless and violent, parallelling messaging against BLM as anti-police and terroristic. Lastly, Black protest is seen as fabricated and anti-White, characterized by unscrupulous activists who manufacture claims of discrimination to manipulate the Black masses into anti-White hysteria, resembling what BLM opponents call, ‘race hustlers’ who stoke racial antagonism. Relying primarily on the <i>John Birch Society Film Strips</i> (1965–1981), I contend these three JBS anti-Black protest propaganda themes represent an earlier messaging strategy which increasingly avoided overt biological racism in favor of ostensibly ‘race-neutral’ rhetoric to defend systemic racism and oppose racial egalitarianism, discrediting Black protest as un-American, dangerous, contrived and racist. Contemporary conservative rightwing media and the characters which proliferate them, especially Black conservatives, similarly demonize BLM and anti-racist efforts broadly, including critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion. This analysis of conservative rightwing messaging, of the past and more recent, can provide a theorization template for how to examine future propaganda efforts against Black movements for racial justice with a concept I call, <i>conservative rightwing countersubversive framing</i>, which I propose in the conclusion.</p>

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Counter-framing Black Protest: the John Birch Society’s Anti-Black Protest Propaganda Themes as a Precursor to Conservative Rightwing Messaging against Black Lives Matter

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月28日

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  • Devon A. Wright

摘要

Through a comparative qualitative content analysis of media from the Americanist ultra-nationalist, John Birch Society (JBS or Society), I show how its anti-Black protest propaganda themes against civil rights and Black Power activism presage conservative rightwing messaging against Black Lives Matter (BLM). Firstly, the Society portrayed Black protest as communist and un-American. Today’s conservative rightwing media similarly depict BLM as Marxist and anti-American. The second theme portrays Black protest as lawless and violent, parallelling messaging against BLM as anti-police and terroristic. Lastly, Black protest is seen as fabricated and anti-White, characterized by unscrupulous activists who manufacture claims of discrimination to manipulate the Black masses into anti-White hysteria, resembling what BLM opponents call, ‘race hustlers’ who stoke racial antagonism. Relying primarily on the John Birch Society Film Strips (1965–1981), I contend these three JBS anti-Black protest propaganda themes represent an earlier messaging strategy which increasingly avoided overt biological racism in favor of ostensibly ‘race-neutral’ rhetoric to defend systemic racism and oppose racial egalitarianism, discrediting Black protest as un-American, dangerous, contrived and racist. Contemporary conservative rightwing media and the characters which proliferate them, especially Black conservatives, similarly demonize BLM and anti-racist efforts broadly, including critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion. This analysis of conservative rightwing messaging, of the past and more recent, can provide a theorization template for how to examine future propaganda efforts against Black movements for racial justice with a concept I call, conservative rightwing countersubversive framing, which I propose in the conclusion.